Aaron vs Shane
Aaron and Shanecompared 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 South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 1996, Aaron was ranked #27 and Shane #83 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 1998, Aaron was ranked #61 and Shane #90 among boys in New Zealand.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Aaron was ranked #71 and Shane #152 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Aaron was ranked #114 and Shane #478 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Aaron was ranked #154 and Shane #857 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Aaron was ranked #187 and Shane #216 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Aaron and Shane over time
Aaron and Shane appear together in 5 published lists, across 177 years of shared records. Aaron held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Shane in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 3 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Shane reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, Aaron in 1. 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 1980, Aaron moved ahead of Shane in New South Wales, Australia · Boys — #23 and #21 the year before became #23 and #26.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 28 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, Aaron and Shane averaged 25.7 places apart, ending at #27 and #83.
- Longest-running competitions
Aaron and Shane were both ranked in New Zealand · Boys for 32 years, from 1966 to 1998, ending at #61 and #90.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Aaron #31 in 1998, Shane #74 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys60 shared years, 1965–2025
Aaron held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Shane in 32.
Highest recorded here: Aaron #6 in 1998, Shane #3 in 1996.
The order changed in 1998: Aaron moved ahead. In 1997 they stood at #9 and #6; by 1998 that had become #6 and #11.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Aaron #71, Shane #152.
New Zealand · Boys32 shared years, 1966–1998
Aaron held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Shane in 5.
Highest recorded here: Aaron #8 in 1972, Shane #12 in 1968.
The order changed in 1971: Aaron moved ahead. In 1970 they stood at #24 and #13; by 1971 that had become #10 and #16.
Most recent shared year, 1998: Aaron #61, Shane #90.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Aaron held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Shane in 0.
Highest recorded here: Aaron #31 in 1998, Shane #74 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Aaron #154, Shane #857.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys28 shared years, 1969–1996
Aaron held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Shane in 11.
Highest recorded here: Aaron #18 in 1986, Shane #15 in 1971.
The order changed in 1980: Aaron moved ahead. In 1979 they stood at #23 and #21; by 1980 that had become #23 and #26.
Most recent shared year, 1996: Aaron #27, Shane #83.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Aaron held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Shane in 0.
Highest recorded here: Aaron #8 in 2000, Shane #41 in 2002.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Aaron #187, Shane #216.
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 | Shane |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | An Anglicized form of Seán, ultimately from Hebrew elements meaning 'Yahweh' and 'gracious' — the same root tradition as John. Popularised in America by the 1953 western film Shane. |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew (likely of Egyptian origin) | Hebrew, via Irish Seán |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɛrən/ | /ˈʃeɪn/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Seán, Sean, Shaun, Shawn |
| 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 #152 (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 | high |
What the data shows
- Aaron is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew (likely of Egyptian origin) origin, while Shane is recorded with a Hebrew, via Irish Seán origin.
- Aaron and Shane both have 2 syllables.
- Aaron's recorded meaning differs from Shane's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
- The available evidence gives Aaron a "medium" Data Confidence level and Shane a "high" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
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
Shane
Popularity journey
First recorded1954
First recorded at #72 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1954 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1996 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #152 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys