Hamish vs Hayden
Hamish and Haydencompared 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, Hamish was ranked #70 and Hayden #268 among boys in Scotland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2009, Hamish was ranked #72 and Hayden #82 among boys in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2016, Hamish was ranked #99 and Hayden #96 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2023, Hamish was ranked #395 and Hayden #272 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2019, Hamish was ranked #402 and Hayden #295 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2025, Hamish was ranked #484 and Hayden #314 among boys in England and Wales.
Hamish and Hayden over time
Hamish and Hayden appear together in 4 published lists, across 109 years of shared records. Hayden held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Hamish in 1.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Hayden reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Hamish in 1. 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Hamish and Hayden changed places 6 times in New Zealand · Boys between 1974 and 2009, ending at #72 and #82.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 36 shared years in New Zealand · Boys, Hamish and Hayden averaged 11.7 places apart, ending at #72 and #82.
- Longest-running competitions
Hamish and Hayden were both ranked in England and Wales · Boys for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #484 and #314.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Scotland · Boys within 2 years — Hamish #69 in 2024, Hayden #268 in 2024.
List by list
New Zealand · Boys36 shared years, 1974–2009
Hamish held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Hayden in 19.
Highest recorded here: Hamish #27 in 1999, Hayden #26 in 1994.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2009: Hamish #72, Hayden #82.
England and Wales · Boys30 shared years, 1996–2025
Hamish held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Hayden in 30.
Highest recorded here: Hamish #222 in 1998, Hayden #71 in 2008.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Hamish #484, Hayden #314.
Scotland · Boys25 shared years, 2024–2024
Hamish held the stronger position in 25 of those years, Hayden in 0.
Highest recorded here: Hamish #69 in 2024, Hayden #268 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Hamish #70, Hayden #268.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys18 shared years, 1997–2016
Hamish held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Hayden in 18.
Highest recorded here: Hamish #60 in 2010, Hayden #31 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2016: Hamish #99, Hayden #96.
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 | Hamish | Hayden |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Shares the meaning of James: commonly interpreted as 'supplanter' (Hebrew, via James/Jacob). | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Scottish Gaelic | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈheɪmɪʃ/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Seumas, James | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Scotland #25 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #223 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | high | medium |
What the data shows
- Hamish has a recorded origin (Scottish Gaelic); Hayden does not have one recorded yet.
- Hamish and Hayden both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Hamish; Hayden doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
- The available evidence gives Hamish a "high" Data Confidence level and Hayden a "medium" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
How each name got here
Hamish
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #95 among boys in New Zealand in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New Zealand · Boys
Highest recorded2014–2025
Highest recorded position: #25 in Scotland, in 2025 (recorded 2014–2025).
Scotland
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #484 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys
Hayden
Popularity journey
First recorded1974
First recorded at #67 among boys in New Zealand in 1974 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New Zealand · Boys
Highest recorded1974–2012
Highest recorded position: #26 among boys in New Zealand, in 1994 (recorded 1974–2012).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #314 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys