Hamish vs Hunter
Hamish 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.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2009, Hamish was ranked #72 and Hunter #17 among boys in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2022, Hamish was ranked #83 and Hunter #23 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Hamish was ranked #70 and Hunter #52 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Hamish was ranked #422 and Hunter #78 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2023, Hamish was ranked #395 and Hunter #92 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2019, Hamish was ranked #402 and Hunter #116 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Hamish and Hunter over time
Hamish and Hunter appear together in 4 published lists, across 71 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
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.
Hamish 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.
- One took the other's place near the top
In New Zealand · Boys, Hunter moved into the top 50 at #36 in 2005 as Hamish fell out of it to #56, having been #45 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2005, Hunter moved ahead of Hamish in New Zealand · Boys — #45 and #52 the year before became #56 and #36.
- Mirrored each other
Over 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Hunter rose about as far as Hamish fell — from #230 and #2357 in 1996 to #422 and #78 in 2024.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Scotland · Boys within 2 years — Hamish #69 in 2024, Hunter #52 in 2024.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Hamish held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Hunter in 13.
Highest recorded here: Hamish #222 in 1998, 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 #450 and #238.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Hamish #422, Hunter #78.
Scotland · Boys16 shared years, 2024–2024
Hamish held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Hunter in 16.
Highest recorded here: Hamish #69 in 2024, Hunter #52 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Hamish #70, Hunter #52.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys15 shared years, 2005–2022
Hamish held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Hunter in 14.
Highest recorded here: Hamish #60 in 2010, Hunter #16 in 2017.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Hamish #83, Hunter #23.
New Zealand · Boys11 shared years, 1999–2009
Hamish held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Hunter in 5.
Highest recorded here: Hamish #27 in 1999, Hunter #17 in 2009.
The order changed in 2005: Hunter moved ahead. In 2004 they stood at #45 and #52; by 2005 that had become #56 and #36.
Most recent shared year, 2009: Hamish #72, Hunter #17.
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 | Hunter |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Shares the meaning of James: commonly interpreted as 'supplanter' (Hebrew, via James/Jacob). | An English occupational surname, from Old English 'hunta'/'huntian' ('to hunt') — someone who hunted for a living. |
| Origin | Scottish Gaelic | English, an occupational surname describing someone who hunted |
| Pronunciation | /ˈheɪmɪʃ/ | /ˈhʌn.təɹ/ |
| 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) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #60 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| 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 is recorded with a Scottish Gaelic origin, while Hunter is recorded with a English, an occupational surname describing someone who hunted origin.
- Hamish and Hunter both have 2 syllables.
- Hamish's recorded meaning differs from Hunter's — see the table above for each.
- 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 Hunter 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 #25 in Scotland, in 2025.
Scotland
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