Damien vs Hunter
Damien and Huntercompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Damien was ranked #619 and Hunter #52 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Damien was ranked #747 and Hunter #78 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2023, Damien was ranked #395 and Hunter #92 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Damien was ranked #468 and Hunter #159 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Damien and Hunter over time
Damien and Hunter appear together in 3 published lists, across 52 years of shared records. Hunter held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Damien in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 2 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Damien reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Hunter in none. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- Mirrored each other
Over 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Hunter rose about as far as Damien fell — from #288 and #2357 in 1996 to #747 and #78 in 2024.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Damien held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Hunter in 13.
Highest recorded here: Damien #280 in 2003, Hunter #44 in 2018.
The order changed in 2012: Hunter moved ahead. In 2011 they stood at #458 and #473; by 2012 that had become #434 and #238.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Damien #747, Hunter #78.
Republic of Ireland · Boys14 shared years, 2012–2025
Damien held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Hunter in 13.
Highest recorded here: Damien #317 in 2017, Hunter #91 in 2021.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Damien #468, Hunter #159.
Northern Ireland · Boys9 shared years, 2008–2023
Damien held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Hunter in 7.
Highest recorded here: Damien #315 in 2014, Hunter #70 in 2019.
The order changed in 2011: Hunter moved ahead. In 2010 they stood at #328 and #378; by 2011 that had become #375 and #375.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Damien #395, Hunter #92.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Damien | Hunter |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | An English occupational surname, from Old English 'hunta'/'huntian' ('to hunt') — someone who hunted for a living. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | English, an occupational surname describing someone who hunted |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈhʌn.təɹ/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #468 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #60 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Hunter has a recorded origin (English, an occupational surname describing someone who hunted); Damien does not have one recorded yet.
- Damien and Hunter both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Hunter; Damien doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
How each name got here
Damien
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #75 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1969–1993
Highest recorded position: #34 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1974 (recorded 1969–1993).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #468 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Hunter
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #2357 among boys in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Boys
Highest recorded1999–2023
Highest recorded position: #5 among boys in New Zealand, in 2017 (recorded 1999–2023).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #60 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys