Hamish

maleScottish Gaelic

Shares the meaning of James: commonly interpreted as 'supplanter' (Hebrew, via James/Jacob).

Origin: Scottish Gaelic — From 'Seumas' (James), via its vocative case 'Sheumais'.

Official popularity data is available for 6 regions, from 1964 to 2025. Highest recorded position: #25 in Scotland in 2025. See regions.

Hamish: Recorded since 1964, its highest recorded position is #25, reached in 2025.

6registrars recorded it
110times a registrar ranked it
62years from first to last
#25highest recorded position
25groupings it qualifies for
8names it appears alongside

What stands out in Hamish's record

Held a top-100 place for 47 years running. Names by top-100 run
Moved 384 places between two consecutive years — its largest recorded change. Names by largest single-year move

HAY-mish/ˈheɪmɪʃ/

Compare Hamish Run Name Checker on Hamish

Data Confidence

Evidence: HighCompleteness: CompleteEditorial review: 2026-06-15

Confidence in the evidencebehind this name's data — never a rating of the name itself, and never affected by how well it matches your preferences. How this is assessed

Because: backed by officially or academically authoritative sources, recently verified, most expected sections are populated, popularity data covers multiple regions.

Source authority

Averaged from the real per-claim source-authority assessments already computed for this name's meaning/origin/pronunciation/popularity evidence.

Independent corroboration

Averaged from the real per-claim supporting-source counts already computed for this name's evidence.

See full evidence assessment (8 dimensions, 1 not yet tracked)

Source agreement

No recorded source disagreement for this name's meanings or origins.

Recency

Calculated from how long ago this record was last verified (2026-06-15), against a 270-day staleness threshold.

Geographic relevance

Calculated from the number of geographies with official popularity data (6) — broader official coverage means the evidence base is relevant to more of where the name is actually used.

Completeness

Calculated from how many of the expected data sections (variants, similar names, popularity, notable usage, IPA pronunciation) are actually populated for this name.

Direct observation vs. inference

Averaged from the real per-claim direct-observation-vs-inference ratios already computed for this name's evidence.

Identity & variant resolution quality

Cross-source identity and variant resolution requires HEKNO Knowledge, which isn't connected yet.

Name Characteristics

How these are calculated

Descriptive attributes of the name itself — not a confidence measurement, and not an overall quality score. Namewise doesn't approve or disapprove of names.

Pronunciation clarity

Editorial judgement of how consistently this name is pronounced correctly on first read, mapped from an easy/moderate/variable rating to a number. Describes the name — not a measure of evidence confidence.

Spelling simplicity

Calculated directly from the name's spelling: shorter names with fewer irregular letter clusters score higher. A disclosed formula, not an editorial opinion — and not a confidence measurement.

Recorded regional spread

Derived from how many geographies' official statistics record this name. It measures where the name is registered, not how well-known it feels to people living there.

International spread

Derived from the same official statistical coverage, scaled to reflect how widely the name crosses national datasets. Not a measure of how easily it is understood in another language.

Trend stability

Derived from the name's traditional/modern classification and its current popularity trend direction.

Overview

Origin: Scottish Gaelic
Meaning: Shares the meaning of James: commonly interpreted as 'supplanter' (Hebrew, via James/Jacob).
Pronunciation: HAY-mish
Syllables: 2
Common nicknames: None recorded
Classification: traditional
Gender usage: male
Language family: Scottish Gaelic

Popularity

Region

Falling

among boys in England and Wales · 1996–2025

View as table

England and Wales · Boys rank by year
Year	Rank
1996	#230
1997	#228
1998	#222
1999	#235
2000	#265
2001	#279
2002	#261
2003	#308
2004	#315
2005	#353
2006	#367
2007	#371
2008	#422
2009	#399
2010	#481
2011	#458
2012	#450
2013	#429
2014	#475
2015	#399
2016	#442
2017	#443
2018	#411
2019	#459
2020	#436
2021	#401
2022	#453
2023	#447
2024	#422
2025	#484

VerifiedSource: Office for National Statistics — Baby Names in England and Wales.Confidence: high.

See all England and Wales names · Source: Office for National Statistics — Baby Names in England and Wales

What the data shows

FallingEngland and Wales · Boys

Recorded in official data among boys in New Zealand in 45 of the 46 years from 1964 to 2009.

In 2024: #69 among boys in Scotland, #422 among boys in England and Wales.

Official data from 6 national registrars across 6 regions, 1964–2025 · Office for National Statistics. Data sources

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
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #484 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys

Hamish appears in 6 of the published lists Namewise holds. The longest record is New Zealand · Boys, which has ranked it in 45 years beginning in 1964, and has registered 5,758 births with the name.

Hamish across 6 official records

Each registrar publishes its own list, so these figures are read down a row, never across one. A position in one country is not comparable with a position in another, and Namewise never combines them into a single ranking. The birth counts do not compare across rows either, for a different reason: England and Wales registers roughly thirty times as many births a year as Northern Ireland, so a larger total says which registrar recorded it as much as how widely the name was given.

Hamish's first, highest and most recent recorded position in each official list, with the number of births each registrar registered with the name and its largest single year
Published list	First recorded	Highest	Most recent	Years recorded	Births registered	Most in one year
New Zealand · Boys	#95 (1964)	#27 (1999)	#72 (2009)	45 of 46	5,758 (1964–2009)	194 (1990)
England and Wales · Boys	#230 (1996)	#222 (1998)	#484 (2025)	30 of 30	2,964 (1996–2025)	138 (1998)
Northern Ireland · Boys	#271 (1997)	#240 (1998)	#395 (2023)	3 of 27	10 (1997–2023)	4 (1998)
New South Wales, Australia · Boys	#80 (1997)	#60 (2010)	#83 (2022)	22 of 26	2,593 (1997–2022)	160 (2010)
Republic of Ireland · Boys	#379 (1999)	#379 (1999)	#402 (2019)	5 of 21	22 (1999–2019)	9 (2019)
Scotland	#45 (2014)	#25 (2025)	#25 (2025)	4 of 12	not published	not published

Hamish by decade in New Zealand · Boys

Births registered with the name in each decade of this one list, with the number of years the list covers in that decade. Bars are scaled on births a year, which is the figure that compares between decades — a decade the list only partly covers has a smaller total without being a quieter decade. Figures belong to this registrar alone and do not carry to another.

Births registered with Hamish in New Zealand · Boys, by decade, with years covered and the average per year
Decade	Births registered	Years covered	A year
1960s	395	5 of 10	79
1970s	1,503	10 of 10	150
1980s	1,365	10 of 10	137
1990sbusiest	1,541	10 of 10	154
2000s	954	10 of 10	95

Across New Zealand · Boys, the 1990s were its busiest decade, averaging 154 births a year.

Its sharpest single-year move came between 1976 and 1977, when recorded births fell by 43, from 185 to 142.

See the names New Zealandhas recorded the most births with →

Hamish appears in

Groupings this name qualifies for under their own stated rules, from the same official statistics shown above.

What the record shows

Recorded by 6 registrars between 1964 and 2025, ranked in 61 years of that period.

Its highest recorded position is #25, first reached in 2025.

It held a top-100 place in 57 years, 47 of them consecutive.

Its largest count from any one registrar is 194 births, registered in New Zealand in 1990.

Its record falls into 2 separate stretches, with a longest absence of 1 year.

A second registrar first ranked it in 1996, and 50 years separate the first registrar to record it from the last.

Every figure here is counted from the seven official registrars Namewise holds. A position is only ever a place within the list that published it, and a record that thins or stops is a fact about what registrars printed — never about how many children received the name.

Where to go next

Records with a comparable body of evidence, so the catalogue can be read outward from this one. Each group states the rule it was selected by.

Next in the catalogue

The records either side of this one alphabetically.

Hamilton · #1683, 22y
Hamim · #2418, 11y
Hammad · #611, 30y
Hamna · #868, 27y

A comparable record

Records held by the same 6 registrars, over a similar number of ranked years, whose highest position is closest to this one. A similar body of evidence — never a claim that the names themselves are alike.

Lara · #25, 58y
Maeve · #25, 62y
Jeremy · #24, 61y
Kieran · #26, 62y

Also first recorded in the 1960s

Records whose earliest ranking in Namewise's registrar data also falls between 1960 and 1969.

Cassandra · #25, 57y
Lara · #25, 58y
Maeve · #25, 62y
Rachael · #25, 62y

Comparisons involving Hamish

Existing comparison pages where Hamish and another name were ranked in the same published list, in the same years, on the same scale. Each has its own evidence; none of them says the names are alike.

Longest shared records

Names ranked alongside Hamish in the same published list across at least 25 years.

Adam vs Hamish
Adam and Hamish changed places 12 times in New Zealand · Boys between 1966 and 2009, ending at #77 and #72.
Adam · Hamish · 44 shared years, 1966–2009 · Repeatedly exchanged positions
See the 2009 New Zealand ranking
Hamish vs Hayden
Across 36 shared years in New Zealand · Boys, Hamish and Hayden averaged 11.7 places apart, ending at #72 and #82.
Hamish · Hayden · 36 shared years, 1974–2009 · Closest over the longest run
See the 2009 New Zealand ranking
Jamie vs Hamish
Across 38 shared years in New Zealand · Boys, Jamie and Hamish averaged 13.0 places apart, ending at #53 and #72.
Jamie · Hamish · 38 shared years, 1972–2009 · Closest over the longest run
See the 2009 New Zealand ranking

Closest long-running positions

Names that stayed close to Hamish within one registrar's list over many years. A gap measured inside that list, never across registrars.

Callum vs Hamish
Across 22 shared years in New Zealand · Boys, Callum and Hamish averaged 13.3 places apart, ending at #78 and #72.
Callum · Hamish · 22 shared years, 1988–2009 · Closest over the longest run
See the 2009 New Zealand ranking

Order changes

Pairs where Hamish and another name exchanged position in a published list, taken as the final meaningful change.

Darren vs Hamish
In New Zealand · Boys, Hamish moved into the top 50 at #30 in 1976 as Darren fell out of it to #55, having been #31 the year before.
Darren · Hamish · 17 shared years, 1964–1982 · One took the other's place near the top
See the 1976 New Zealand ranking
Grant vs Hamish
In New Zealand · Boys, Hamish moved into the top 50 at #30 in 1976 as Grant fell out of it to #53, having been #39 the year before.
Grant · Hamish · 23 shared years, 1964–1987 · One took the other's place near the top
See the 1976 New Zealand ranking
Hunter vs Hamish
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.
Hunter · Hamish · 11 shared years, 1999–2009 · One took the other's place near the top
See the 2005 New Zealand ranking

Hamish and the names beside it

Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale, in the same year, by the same registrar — so these are positions that genuinely passed each other, not a similarity judgement. Drawn from the 2,577 names with a recorded popularity standing (common, familiar, uncommon), so a name outside that set could have passed Hamish without appearing here.

Hamish moved ahead of

Kristian
In 2012 they stood at #450 and #434 in England and Wales · Boys; by 2013 that had become #429 and #581.
Ross
In 2010 they stood at #481 and #439 in England and Wales · Boys; by 2011 that had become #458 and #594.
Niall
In 2020 they stood at #436 and #431 in England and Wales · Boys; by 2021 that had become #401 and #514.
Shane
In 2014 they stood at #475 and #449 in England and Wales · Boys; by 2015 that had become #399 and #506.

Moved ahead of Hamish

Hunter Compare
In 2011 they stood at #458 and #473 in England and Wales · Boys; by 2012 that had become #450 and #238.
Filip
In 2006 they stood at #367 and #443 in England and Wales · Boys; by 2007 that had become #371 and #253.
Oskar
In 2006 they stood at #367 and #407 in England and Wales · Boys; by 2007 that had become #371 and #258.
Bailey
In 1996 they stood at #230 and #263 in England and Wales · Boys; by 1997 that had become #228 and #134.

Moved the opposite way to Hamish

Anthony
Between 1964 and 2005 in New Zealand · Boys, Hamish went from #95 to #56 while Anthony went from #14 to #75.
Timothy
Between 1964 and 2005 in New Zealand · Boys, Hamish went from #95 to #56 while Timothy went from #40 to #100.
Jason
Between 1966 and 2004 in New Zealand · Boys, Hamish went from #86 to #45 while Jason went from #57 to #85.
Scott
Between 1964 and 2002 in New Zealand · Boys, Hamish went from #95 to #37 while Scott went from #64 to #96.

Moved the same way as Hamish

Aaron
Between 1996 and 2025 in England and Wales · Boys, Hamish went from #230 to #484 and Aaron from #33 to #180.
Adam Compare
Between 1996 and 2025 in England and Wales · Boys, Hamish went from #230 to #484 and Adam from #16 to #26.
Alan
Between 1996 and 2025 in England and Wales · Boys, Hamish went from #230 to #484 and Alan from #163 to #539.
Alex
Between 1996 and 2025 in England and Wales · Boys, Hamish went from #230 to #484 and Alex from #43 to #207.

Meaning & Origin

Shares the meaning of James: commonly interpreted as 'supplanter' (Hebrew, via James/Jacob).

VerifiedSource: Namewise editorial team, Behind the Name.Confidence: medium.

Scottish Gaelic

From 'Seumas' (James), via its vocative case 'Sheumais'.

VerifiedSource: Namewise editorial team, Behind the Name.Confidence: medium.

Other names with a researched meaning and origin →

Where Hamish is officially recorded

6 official registrars have recorded Hamish, between 1964 and 2025, in 61 of those 62 years. Each registrar publishes for its own population on its own methodology, so the positions below are each one country's own ranking and are not comparable with one another.

Registrar	Recorded	Years	Its own highest position
New Zealand	1964–2009	45	#27 in 1999
England and Wales	1996–2025	30	#222 in 1998
New South Wales, Australia	1997–2022	22	#60 in 2010
Northern Ireland	1997–2023	3	#240 in 1998
Republic of Ireland	1999–2019	5	#379 in 1999
Scotland	2014–2025	5	#25 in 2025

Its high point came 27 years earlier in England and Wales (1998) than in Scotland (2025).

Variants

Seumas · regional
James · transliteration

Similar Names

See full comparison →

Cian4% similar

Both are Celtic-language names anglicised for everyday English use.

Similarity is a demonstration score — see methodology.

Spelling

Spelling simplicity

Calculated directly from the name's spelling — see Name Characteristics above.

No commonly used alternate spellings recorded.

Pronunciation

HAY-mish/ˈheɪmɪʃ/

Syllables: 2
Ease: easy

Demonstration dataSource: Namewise editorial team.Confidence: low.

Where Hamish Is Recorded

National statistical agencies have recorded Hamish in these places. This shows where the name is used — not where it comes from, and not that it carries particular cultural significance there.

New South Wales, AustraliaEngland and WalesNorthern IrelandScotlandRepublic of IrelandNew Zealand

Notable Usage

No safely-sourced notable usage recorded for this name yet.

Sibling & Surname Compatibility

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Hamish

Hamish at a glance

What stands out in Hamish's record

Overview

Popularity

What the data shows

Popularity journey

Hamish across 6 official records

Hamish by decade in New Zealand · Boys

Hamish appears in

What the record shows

Where to go next

Next in the catalogue

A comparable record

Also first recorded in the 1960s

Comparisons involving Hamish

Longest shared records

Closest long-running positions

Order changes

Hamish and the names beside it

Hamish moved ahead of

Moved ahead of Hamish

Moved the opposite way to Hamish

Moved the same way as Hamish

Meaning & Origin

Where Hamish is officially recorded

Variants

Similar Names

Spelling

Pronunciation

Where Hamish Is Recorded

Notable Usage

Sibling & Surname Compatibility

Hamish at a glance

What stands out in Hamish's record

Hamish across 6 official records

Hamish by decade in New Zealand · Boys

Hamish appears in

What the record shows

Where to go next

Next in the catalogue

A comparable record

Also first recorded in the 1960s

Comparisons involving Hamish

Longest shared records

Closest long-running positions

Order changes

Hamish and the names beside it

Hamish moved ahead of

Moved ahead of Hamish

Moved the opposite way to Hamish

Moved the same way as Hamish