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.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Aaron was ranked #154 and Dylan #64 among boys in England and Wales.
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.
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 181 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 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Aaron and Dylan averaged 39.5 places apart, ending at #154 and #64.
- Longest-running competitions
Aaron and Dylan were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 34 years, from 1983 to 2019, ending at #86 and #80.
- 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 · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Aaron held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Dylan in 24.
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, 2024: Aaron #154, Dylan #64.
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.
Side by side
| Field | Aaron | Dylan |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| 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. | 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. |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew (likely of Egyptian origin) | Welsh |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɛrən/ | /ˈdɪlən/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #71 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #69 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
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
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
Dylan
Popularity journey
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
Highest recorded1980–2020
Highest recorded position: #7 among boys in New Zealand, in 1992 (recorded 1980–2020).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #69 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys