Hamish vs William
Hamish and William compared 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 South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2022, Hamish was ranked #83 and William #4 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2009, Hamish was ranked #72 and William #5 among boys in New Zealand.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2025, Hamish was ranked #484 and William #25 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2019, Hamish was ranked #402 and William #50 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2023, Hamish was ranked #395 and William #58 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Hamish was ranked #69 and William #66 among boys in Scotland.
Hamish and William over time
Higher on the chart is a stronger position. The scale is logarithmic, so the gap from #1 to #10 is drawn as large as the gap from #100 to #1,000.
Higher on the chart is a stronger position. The scale is logarithmic, so the gap from #1 to #10 is drawn as large as the gap from #100 to #1,000.
Hamish and William over time
Hamish and William appear together in 3 published lists, across 97 years of shared records. William held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Hamish in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Hamish reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, William 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.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 45 shared years in New Zealand · Boys, Hamish and William averaged 29.5 places apart, ending at #72 and #5.
- Longest-running competitions
Hamish and William were both ranked in England and Wales · Boys for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #484 and #25.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in New South Wales, Australia · Boys within 2 years — Hamish #60 in 2010, William #1 in 2009.
List by list
New Zealand · Boys45 shared years, 1964–2009
Hamish held the stronger position in 1 of those years, William in 44.
Highest recorded here: Hamish #27 in 1999, William #3 in 2008.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2009: Hamish #72, William #5.
England and Wales · Boys30 shared years, 1996–2025
Hamish held the stronger position in 0 of those years, William in 30.
Highest recorded here: Hamish #222 in 1998, William #7 in 2006.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Hamish #484, William #25.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys22 shared years, 1997–2022
Hamish held the stronger position in 0 of those years, William in 22.
Highest recorded here: Hamish #60 in 2010, William #1 in 2009.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Hamish #83, William #4.
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.
Where to go next
Comparisons that share a name, a rule or a published list with this one. Each is an existing comparison page with its own evidence — nothing here says these pairs are alike.
Other comparisons involving William
Pairs where William shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.
- William vs Ross
In 1997 they stood at #26 and #30 in Northern Ireland · Boys, 4 places apart; by 2023 they were #58 and #395.
William · Ross · 27 shared years, 1997–2023 · Started together, ended far apart
- William vs Brendan
In 1964 they stood at #8 and #17 in Republic of Ireland · Boys, 9 places apart; by 2025 they were #73 and #402.
William · Brendan · 62 shared years, 1964–2025 · Started together, ended far apart
- William vs Bradley
In 1996 they stood at #21 and #31 in England and Wales · Boys, 10 places apart; by 2025 they were #25 and #352.
William · Bradley · 30 shared years, 1996–2025 · Started together, ended far apart
- William vs Andrew
In 1996 they stood at #21 and #29 in England and Wales · Boys, 8 places apart; by 2025 they were #25 and #334.
William · Andrew · 30 shared years, 1996–2025 · Started together, ended far apart
Side by side
| Field | Hamish | William |
|---|---|---|
| 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). | Commonly interpreted as 'resolute protector' or 'will helmet', combining the ideas of desire/will and protection. |
| Origin | Scottish Gaelic | Germanic (Old Frankish/Old High German Willehelm) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈheɪmɪʃ/ | /ˈwɪljəm/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Seumas, James | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | New South Wales, Australia, England and Wales, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Republic of Ireland, New Zealand | New South Wales, Australia, England and Wales, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Republic of Ireland, Norway, New Zealand |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Boys #484 (2025) | Norway · Boys #3 (2025) |
| Data Confidence | high | medium |
What the data shows
- Hamish is recorded with a Scottish Gaelic origin, while William is recorded with a Germanic (Old Frankish/Old High German Willehelm) origin.
- Hamish and William both have 2 syllables.
- Hamish's recorded meaning differs from William'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 William 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 recorded1964–2009
Highest recorded position: #27 among boys in New Zealand, in 1999 (recorded 1964–2009).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #484 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys
William
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #277 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1952–2025
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2009 (recorded 1952–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #25 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys