Alan vs Aodan
Alan and Aodancompared 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 2017, Alan was ranked #120 and Aodan #710 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2015, Alan was ranked #156 and Aodan #415 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2000, Alan was ranked #262 and Aodan #3036 among boys in England and Wales.
Alan and Aodan over time
Alan and Aodan appear together in 1 published list, across 19 years of shared records. Alan held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Aodan in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
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 — Alan #10 in 1973, Aodan #254 in 1973.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys19 shared years, 1973–2017
Alan held the stronger position in 19 of those years, Aodan in 0.
Highest recorded here: Alan #10 in 1973, Aodan #254 in 1973.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2017: Alan #120, Aodan #710.
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 | Aodan |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 2 |
| 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, GB-NIR, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #232 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #710 (2017) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 94/100 |
| 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)); Aodan does not have one recorded yet.
- Alan and Aodan both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Alan; Aodan doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
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
Aodan
Popularity journey
First recorded1973
First recorded at #254 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1973 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1973–2017
Highest recorded position: #254 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1973 (recorded 1973–2017).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2017
Most recently recorded at #710 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2017.
Republic of Ireland · Boys