Aaron vs Dan
Aaron and Dancompared 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.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Aaron was ranked #71 and Dan #286 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Aaron was ranked #114 and Dan #727 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Aaron was ranked #154 and Dan #1460 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Aaron was ranked #187 and Dan #278 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Aaron was ranked #334 and Dan #456 among boys in Norway.
Aaron and Dan over time
Aaron and Dan appear together in 4 published lists, across 125 years of shared records. Aaron held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Dan in 1.
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.
- Longest-running competitions
Aaron and Dan were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 38 years, from 1972 to 2025, ending at #334 and #456.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Aaron #31 in 1998, Dan #476 in 1997.
List by list
Norway · Boys38 shared years, 1972–2025
Aaron held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Dan in 20.
Highest recorded here: Aaron #162 in 2015, Dan #75 in 1987.
The order changed in 2005: Aaron moved ahead. In 2004 they stood at #390 and #287; by 2005 that had become #272 and #286.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Aaron #334, Dan #456.
Republic of Ireland · Boys38 shared years, 1974–2025
Aaron held the stronger position in 38 of those years, Dan in 0.
Highest recorded here: Aaron #8 in 1999, Dan #205 in 2005.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Aaron #71, Dan #286.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Aaron held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Dan in 0.
Highest recorded here: Aaron #31 in 1998, Dan #476 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Aaron #154, Dan #1460.
Northern Ireland · Boys20 shared years, 2001–2024
Aaron held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Dan in 0.
Highest recorded here: Aaron #12 in 2003, Dan #200 in 2023.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Aaron #187, Dan #278.
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 | Aaron | Dan |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Best known as the name of Moses's elder brother and the first high priest of Israel in the Old Testament; the literal meaning of the name itself is not reliably established. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew (likely of Egyptian origin) | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɛrən/ | 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, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #71 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #286 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Aaron has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew (likely of Egyptian origin)); Dan does not have one recorded yet.
- Aaron has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Dan.
- A meaning is recorded for Aaron; Dan doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO.
How each name got here
Aaron
Popularity journey
First recorded1965
First recorded at #222 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1965 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1965–2025
Highest recorded position: #6 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1998 (recorded 1965–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #334 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys
Dan
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #326 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1945–2025
Highest recorded position: #75 among boys in Norway, in 1987 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #456 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys