Namewise

Aaron vs Dylan

Aaron and Dylancompared 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 Zealand · Boys

    In 2016, Aaron was ranked #88 and Dylan #65 among boys in New Zealand.

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys

    In 2025, Aaron was ranked #71 and Dylan #69 among boys in Republic of Ireland.

  • England and Wales · Boys

    In 2025, Aaron was ranked #180 and Dylan #72 among boys in England and Wales.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Boys

    In 2019, Aaron was ranked #86 and Dylan #80 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.

  • Scotland · Boys

    In 2024, Aaron was ranked #114 and Dylan #104 among boys in Scotland.

  • Northern Ireland · Boys

    In 2024, Aaron was ranked #187 and Dylan #154 among boys in Northern Ireland.

Aaron and Dylan over time

Aaron and Dylan appear together in 5 published lists, across 182 years of shared records. Dylan held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Aaron in 1.

The order between them changed and held in 4 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.

Aaron reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, and Dylan 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.

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 2001, Dylan moved ahead of Aaron in England and Wales · Boys — #36 and #37 the year before became #40 and #27.

  • Repeatedly exchanged positions

    Aaron and Dylan changed places 5 times in Republic of Ireland · Boys between 1969 and 2025, ending at #71 and #69.

  • Closest over the longest run

    Across 30 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Aaron and Dylan averaged 41.8 places apart, ending at #180 and #72.

  • Longest-running competitions

    Aaron and Dylan were both ranked in England and Wales · Boys for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #180 and #72.

  • Peaked in the same years

    Both reached their highest recorded position in Northern Ireland · Boys within 2 years — Aaron #8 in 2000, Dylan #7 in 2001.

List by list

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys55 shared years, 1969–2025

    Aaron held the stronger position in 31 of those years, Dylan in 24.

    Highest recorded here: Aaron #6 in 1998, Dylan #7 in 1998.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Aaron #71, Dylan #69.

  • New Zealand · Boys35 shared years, 1980–2016

    Aaron held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Dylan in 23.

    Highest recorded here: Aaron #17 in 1983, Dylan #7 in 1992.

    The order changed in 1992: Dylan moved ahead. In 1991 they stood at #29 and #30; by 1992 that had become #24 and #7.

    Most recent shared year, 2016: Aaron #88, Dylan #65.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Boys34 shared years, 1983–2019

    Aaron held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Dylan in 24.

    Highest recorded here: Aaron #18 in 1986, Dylan #12 in 1995.

    The order changed in 1993: Dylan moved ahead. In 1992 they stood at #22 and #23; by 1993 that had become #26 and #18.

    Most recent shared year, 2019: Aaron #86, Dylan #80.

  • England and Wales · Boys30 shared years, 1996–2025

    Aaron held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Dylan in 25.

    Highest recorded here: Aaron #31 in 1998, Dylan #16 in 2010.

    The order changed in 2001: Dylan moved ahead. In 2000 they stood at #36 and #37; by 2001 that had become #40 and #27.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Aaron #180, Dylan #72.

  • Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024

    Aaron held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Dylan in 23.

    Highest recorded here: Aaron #8 in 2000, Dylan #7 in 2001.

    The order changed in 2006: Dylan moved ahead. In 2005 they stood at #14 and #15; by 2006 that had become #18 and #15.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Aaron #187, Dylan #154.

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 Aaron

Pairs where Aaron shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other comparisons involving Dylan

Pairs where Dylan shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other pairs with the same kind of relationship

Pairs that qualify under the same rule as this one — one moved ahead of the other.

All one moved ahead of the other→

Other pairs from New Zealand lists

Pairs measured inside New Zealand's own published lists, where this pair's strongest relationship is also recorded. Positions in these lists are not comparable with another registrar's.

New Zealand overview→

Other pairs ranked together in the 2010s

Pairs both ranked in the same published list at some point between 2010 and 2019.

The 2010s across all registrars→

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Aaron, Dylan
FieldAaronDylan
Record typeEditorially researched profileEditorially researched profile
Gender usagemalemale
MeaningBest 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.Traditionally associated with the sea/tide — popularly glossed as 'great tide' or 'born from the sea', reflecting the mythological figure's role. Some scholars theorise the figure may reflect an earlier, otherwise unattested Celtic sea god — treat as a proposed origin, not settled fact.
OriginBiblical Hebrew (likely of Egyptian origin)Welsh
Pronunciation/ˈɛrən//ˈdɪlən/
Syllables22
Common variants / nicknamesNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Recorded regional usageAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ
Most recent popularity observationRepublic of Ireland · Boys #71 (2025)Republic of Ireland · Boys #69 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)90/10090/100
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)94/10094/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

What the data shows

  • Aaron is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew (likely of Egyptian origin) origin, while Dylan is recorded with a Welsh origin.
  • Aaron and Dylan both have 2 syllables.
  • Aaron's recorded meaning differs from Dylan'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

Aaron

Popularity journey

  1. 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

  2. Highest recorded1965–2025

    Highest recorded position: #6 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1998 (recorded 1965–2025).

    Republic of Ireland · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #180 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Boys

Dylan

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1969

    First recorded at #246 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1969 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Republic of Ireland · Boys

  2. Highest recorded1980–2020

    Highest recorded position: #7 among boys in New Zealand, in 1992 (recorded 1980–2020).

    New Zealand · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #2006 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Girls