Hunter vs Kent
Hunter and Kentcompared 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.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2018, Hunter was ranked #44 and Kent #3959 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2022, Hunter was ranked #71 and Kent #414 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Hunter and Kent over time
Hunter and Kent appear together in 1 published list, across 18 years of shared records. Hunter held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Kent in 0.
The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Kent reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 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.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys18 shared years, 1996–2018
Hunter held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Kent in 5.
Highest recorded here: Hunter #44 in 2018, Kent #1765 in 1996.
The order changed in 2005: Hunter moved ahead. In 2004 they stood at #2857 and #2470; by 2005 that had become #1135 and #3849.
Most recent shared year, 2018: Hunter #44, Kent #3959.
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 | Hunter | Kent |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | An English occupational surname, from Old English 'hunta'/'huntian' ('to hunt') — someone who hunted for a living. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | English, an occupational surname describing someone who hunted | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈhʌn.təɹ/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #60 (2025) | Northern Ireland · Boys #414 (2022) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 95/100 |
| 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); Kent does not have one recorded yet.
- Hunter has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Kent.
- A meaning is recorded for Hunter; Kent doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR.
How each name got here
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
Kent
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #304 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1945–2016
Highest recorded position: #70 among boys in Norway, in 1979 (recorded 1945–2016).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2022
Most recently recorded at #414 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2022.
Northern Ireland · Boys