Aaron vs Ryan
Aaron and Ryancompared 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 Ryan #16 among boys in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2019, Aaron was ranked #86 and Ryan #36 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Aaron was ranked #71 and Ryan #57 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Aaron was ranked #187 and Ryan #104 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Aaron was ranked #114 and Ryan #104 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Aaron was ranked #154 and Ryan #132 among boys in England and Wales.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Aaron was ranked #334 and Ryan #364 among boys in Norway.
Aaron and Ryan over time
Aaron and Ryan appear together in 6 published lists, across 236 years of shared records. Ryan held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Aaron in 2.
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 3 of those lists, Ryan in 2. 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 1990, Ryan moved ahead of Aaron in New South Wales, Australia · Boys — #19 and #23 the year before became #20 and #18.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Aaron and Ryan changed places 7 times in New South Wales, Australia · Boys between 1973 and 2019, ending at #86 and #36.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Aaron and Ryan averaged 21.4 places apart, ending at #154 and #132.
- Mirrored each other
Over 44 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, Ryan rose about as far as Aaron fell — from #50 and #94 in 1973 to #86 and #36 in 2019.
- Longest-running competitions
Aaron and Ryan were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 44 years, from 1973 to 2019, ending at #86 and #36.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Aaron #31 in 1998, Ryan #7 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys55 shared years, 1971–2025
Aaron held the stronger position in 34 of those years, Ryan in 21.
Highest recorded here: Aaron #6 in 1998, Ryan #6 in 2008.
The order changed in 2007: Ryan moved ahead. In 2006 they stood at #11 and #14; by 2007 that had become #12 and #7.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Aaron #71, Ryan #57.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys44 shared years, 1973–2019
Aaron held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Ryan in 32.
Highest recorded here: Aaron #18 in 1986, Ryan #8 in 2004.
The order changed in 1990: Ryan moved ahead. In 1989 they stood at #19 and #23; by 1990 that had become #20 and #18.
Most recent shared year, 2019: Aaron #86, Ryan #36.
New Zealand · Boys43 shared years, 1972–2016
Aaron held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Ryan in 27.
Highest recorded here: Aaron #8 in 1972, Ryan #10 in 2006.
The order changed in 1990: Ryan moved ahead. In 1989 they stood at #21 and #23; by 1990 that had become #27 and #13.
Most recent shared year, 2016: Aaron #88, Ryan #16.
Norway · Boys37 shared years, 1978–2025
Aaron held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Ryan in 11.
Highest recorded here: Aaron #162 in 2015, Ryan #249 in 2015.
The order changed in 2002: Aaron moved ahead. In 2001 they stood at #492 and #462; by 2002 that had become #263 and #421.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Aaron #334, Ryan #364.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Aaron held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Ryan in 29.
Highest recorded here: Aaron #31 in 1998, Ryan #7 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Aaron #154, Ryan #132.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Aaron held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Ryan in 28.
Highest recorded here: Aaron #8 in 2000, Ryan #2 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Aaron #187, Ryan #104.
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 | Ryan |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | The Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Riain, a patronymic from the given name Rian. The exact meaning of Rian itself remains uncertain, despite a popular but unconfirmed 'little king' gloss. |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew (likely of Egyptian origin) | Irish (surname origin) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɛrən/ | /ˈɹaɪ.ən/ |
| 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 | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #71 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #57 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| 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 is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew (likely of Egyptian origin) origin, while Ryan is recorded with a Irish (surname origin) origin.
- Aaron has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Ryan.
- Aaron's recorded meaning differs from Ryan's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, 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
Ryan
Popularity journey
First recorded1971
First recorded at #280 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1971 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #2 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 1997 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #81 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys