Hunter vs Sebastian
Hunter and Sebastiancompared 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 2025, Hunter was ranked #60 and Sebastian #31 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Hunter was ranked #36 and Sebastian #52 among boys in New Zealand.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2025, Hunter was ranked #91 and Sebastian #47 among boys in England and Wales.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Hunter was ranked #52 and Sebastian #116 among boys in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Hunter was ranked #93 and Sebastian #154 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Hunter was ranked #159 and Sebastian #125 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Hunter and Sebastian over time
Hunter and Sebastian appear together in 5 published lists, across 101 years of shared records. Hunter held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Sebastian in 2.
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.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 2 of the lists they share.
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 moved ahead of the other
In 2017, Hunter moved ahead of Sebastian in Northern Ireland · Boys — #207 and #108 the year before became #98 and #124.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Hunter and Sebastian changed places 8 times in New South Wales, Australia · Boys between 2005 and 2025, ending at #60 and #31.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 21 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, Hunter and Sebastian averaged 12.1 places apart, ending at #60 and #31.
- Longest-running competitions
Hunter and Sebastian were both ranked in England and Wales · Boys for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #91 and #47.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Hunter #44 in 2018, Sebastian #28 in 2018.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys30 shared years, 1996–2025
Hunter held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Sebastian in 30.
Highest recorded here: Hunter #44 in 2018, Sebastian #28 in 2018.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Hunter #91, Sebastian #47.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys21 shared years, 2005–2025
Hunter held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Sebastian in 10.
Highest recorded here: Hunter #16 in 2017, Sebastian #20 in 2022.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Hunter #60, Sebastian #31.
New Zealand · Boys21 shared years, 2002–2023
Hunter held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Sebastian in 0.
Highest recorded here: Hunter #5 in 2017, Sebastian #52 in 2018.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Hunter #36, Sebastian #52.
Northern Ireland · Boys15 shared years, 2008–2024
Hunter held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Sebastian in 7.
Highest recorded here: Hunter #70 in 2019, Sebastian #102 in 2015.
The order changed in 2017: Hunter moved ahead. In 2016 they stood at #207 and #108; by 2017 that had become #98 and #124.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Hunter #93, Sebastian #154.
Republic of Ireland · Boys14 shared years, 2012–2025
Hunter held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Sebastian in 12.
Highest recorded here: Hunter #91 in 2021, Sebastian #80 in 2017.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Hunter #159, Sebastian #125.
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 | Sebastian |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | An English occupational surname, from Old English 'hunta'/'huntian' ('to hunt') — someone who hunted for a living. | Traditionally interpreted as 'venerable' or 'revered' — from Latin Sebastianus, 'from Sebaste' (a city in Asia Minor), whose own name derives from a Greek word used to translate the Roman imperial title Augustus. |
| Origin | English, an occupational surname describing someone who hunted | Latin, from Greek |
| Pronunciation | /ˈhʌn.təɹ/ | /səˈbæstʃən/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | 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, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #60 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #31 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 65/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 70/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Hunter is recorded with a English, an occupational surname describing someone who hunted origin, while Sebastian is recorded with a Latin, from Greek origin.
- Hunter has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Sebastian.
- Hunter's recorded meaning differs from Sebastian's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
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 #4867 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls
Sebastian
Popularity journey
First recorded1968
First recorded at #415 among boys in Norway in 1968 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1968–2025
Highest recorded position: #6 among boys in Norway, in 2006 (recorded 1968–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #47 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys