Aedan vs Alan

Aedan and Alancompared 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 2024, Aedan was ranked #785 and Alan #240 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2021, Aedan was ranked #374 and Alan #266 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Aedan was ranked #1675 and Alan #592 among boys in England and Wales.

Aedan and Alan over time

Aedan and Alan appear together in 3 published lists, across 58 years of shared records. Alan held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Aedan in 0.

In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.

Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 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.

Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Republic of Ireland · Boys within 2 years — Aedan #369 in 1996, Alan #35 in 1996.

List by list

England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Aedan held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Alan in 29.
Highest recorded here: Aedan #710 in 2003, Alan #163 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Aedan #1675, Alan #592.
Republic of Ireland · Boys15 shared years, 1996–2024
Aedan held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Alan in 15.
Highest recorded here: Aedan #369 in 1996, Alan #35 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Aedan #785, Alan #240.
Northern Ireland · Boys14 shared years, 1997–2021
Aedan held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Alan in 13.
Highest recorded here: Aedan #271 in 1997, Alan #133 in 2009.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2021: Aedan #374, Alan #266.

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 Alan

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

Gregory vs Alan
Gregory and Alan both fell over the same years in 3 registrars — New South Wales, Australia · Boys; New Zealand · Boys; Republic of Ireland · Boys. Each list is measured against its own starting position; the positions are never combined.
Gregory · Alan · 72 shared years, 1952–2025 · Moved together in several countries
Alan vs Keith
Alan and Keith both fell over the same years in 3 registrars — New South Wales, Australia · Boys; New Zealand · Boys; Republic of Ireland · Boys. Each list is measured against its own starting position; the positions are never combined.
Alan · Keith · 71 shared years, 1952–2025 · Moved together in several countries
Kevin vs Alan
Kevin and Alan both fell over the same years in 3 registrars — New South Wales, Australia · Boys; New Zealand · Boys; Republic of Ireland · Boys. Each list is measured against its own starting position; the positions are never combined.
Kevin · Alan · 74 shared years, 1952–2025 · Moved together in several countries
Alan vs Noel
Alan and Noel both fell over the same years in 3 registrars — New South Wales, Australia · Boys; New Zealand · Boys; Republic of Ireland · Boys. Each list is measured against its own starting position; the positions are never combined.
Alan · Noel · 74 shared years, 1952–2025 · Moved together in several countries

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Aedan, Alan
Field	Aedan	Alan
Record type	Official statistical record (evidence-only)	Editorially researched profile
Gender usage	male	male
Meaning	Not yet recorded	Exact meaning uncertain — possibly Brythonic for 'little rock', or from the tribal name of the Alans, an Iranian people who migrated into Europe in the 4th-5th centuries. Used in Brittany from at least the 6th century, brought to England by Breton settlers after the Norman Conquest.
Origin	Not yet recorded	Uncertain (Brythonic or Alan-tribal)
Pronunciation	Not yet recorded	/ˈæl.ən/
Syllables	2	2
Common variants / nicknames	Not yet recorded	Not yet recorded
Recorded regional usage	GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE	AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ
Most recent popularity observation	Republic of Ireland · Boys #785 (2024)	Republic of Ireland · Boys #232 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)	Not yet recorded	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

Alan has a recorded origin (Uncertain (Brythonic or Alan-tribal)); Aedan does not have one recorded yet.
Aedan and Alan both have 2 syllables.
A meaning is recorded for Alan; Aedan doesn't have one written yet.
Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.

How each name got here

Aedan

Popularity journey

First recorded1996
First recorded at #1235 among boys in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Boys
Highest recorded1997–2021
Highest recorded position: #271 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 1997 (recorded 1997–2021).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #1675 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys

Alan

Popularity journey

First recorded1946
First recorded at #253 among boys in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #9 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1975 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #274 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys