Alan vs Alexandru
Alan and Alexandrucompared 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 2025, Alan was ranked #232 and Alexandru #402 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Norway · Boys
In 2014, Alan was ranked #243 and Alexandru #516 among boys in Norway.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2025, Alan was ranked #539 and Alexandru #658 among boys in England and Wales.
Alan and Alexandru over time
Alan and Alexandru appear together in 3 published lists, across 82 years of shared records. Alan held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Alexandru in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Alan reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Alexandru 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Alan and Alexandru changed places 6 times in Norway · Boys between 1967 and 2014, ending at #243 and #516.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Republic of Ireland · Boys within 2 years — Alan #51 in 2000, Alexandru #267 in 2002.
List by list
Norway · Boys28 shared years, 1967–2014
Alan held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Alexandru in 7.
Highest recorded here: Alan #209 in 2010, Alexandru #253 in 1987.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2014: Alan #243, Alexandru #516.
England and Wales · Boys27 shared years, 1996–2025
Alan held the stronger position in 22 of those years, Alexandru in 5.
Highest recorded here: Alan #163 in 1996, Alexandru #270 in 2019.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Alan #539, Alexandru #658.
Republic of Ireland · Boys27 shared years, 1999–2025
Alan held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Alexandru in 1.
Highest recorded here: Alan #51 in 2000, Alexandru #267 in 2002.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Alan #232, Alexandru #402.
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 | Alan | Alexandru |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | 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. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Uncertain (Brythonic or Alan-tribal) | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈæl.ən/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 4 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #232 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #402 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 70/100 |
| 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)); Alexandru does not have one recorded yet.
- Alan has 2 syllables, compared with 4 for Alexandru.
- A meaning is recorded for Alan; Alexandru doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE, NO.
How each name got here
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 #539 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys
Alexandru
Popularity journey
First recorded1967
First recorded at #520 among boys in Norway in 1967 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1967–2014
Highest recorded position: #253 among boys in Norway, in 1987 (recorded 1967–2014).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #658 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys