Alan vs Austin
Alan and Austincompared 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.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Alan was ranked #352 and Austin #84 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Alan was ranked #592 and Austin #88 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2023, Alan was ranked #348 and Austin #153 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Alan was ranked #232 and Austin #176 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Alan and Austin over time
Alan and Austin appear together in 3 published lists, across 111 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
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.
Alan reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Austin 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 2016, Austin moved ahead of Alan in Northern Ireland · Boys — #156 and #159 the year before became #180 and #118.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Alan and Austin changed places 5 times in England and Wales · Boys between 1996 and 2024, ending at #592 and #88.
- Longest-running competitions
Alan and Austin were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 62 years, from 1964 to 2025, ending at #232 and #176.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025
Alan held the stronger position in 58 of those years, Austin in 4.
Highest recorded here: Alan #9 in 1975, Austin #111 in 1965.
The order changed in 2023: Austin moved ahead. In 2022 they stood at #173 and #192; by 2023 that had become #319 and #162.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Alan #232, Austin #176.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Alan held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Austin in 22.
Highest recorded here: Alan #163 in 1996, Austin #85 in 2016.
The order changed in 2006: Austin moved ahead. In 2005 they stood at #241 and #260; by 2006 that had become #251 and #227.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Alan #592, Austin #88.
Northern Ireland · Boys20 shared years, 2001–2023
Alan held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Austin in 10.
Highest recorded here: Alan #133 in 2009, Austin #106 in 2020.
The order changed in 2016: Austin moved ahead. In 2015 they stood at #156 and #159; by 2016 that had become #180 and #118.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Alan #348, Austin #153.
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 | Austin |
|---|---|---|
| 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/ | |
| 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 | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #232 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #37 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 88/100 |
| 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)); Austin does not have one recorded yet.
- Alan and Austin both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Alan; Austin doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
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 #274 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys
Austin
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #114 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded2011–2025
Highest recorded position: #37 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025 (recorded 2011–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #37 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys