Alan vs Billy
Alan and Billycompared 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 Billy #39 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Alan was ranked #592 and Billy #127 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2023, Alan was ranked #348 and Billy #232 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Alan was ranked #352 and Billy #234 among boys in Scotland.
Alan and Billy over time
Alan and Billy appear together in 3 published lists, across 100 years of shared records. Alan held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Billy in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 2 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 3 of those lists, and Billy in none. 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 2015, Billy moved ahead of Alan in Republic of Ireland · Boys — #94 and #95 the year before became #109 and #79.
- Longest-running competitions
Alan and Billy were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 45 years, from 1970 to 2025, ending at #232 and #39.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Alan #163 in 1996, Billy #68 in 1998.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys45 shared years, 1970–2025
Alan held the stronger position in 34 of those years, Billy in 11.
Highest recorded here: Alan #11 in 1977, Billy #39 in 2025.
The order changed in 2015: Billy moved ahead. In 2014 they stood at #94 and #95; by 2015 that had become #109 and #79.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Alan #232, Billy #39.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Alan held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Billy in 29.
Highest recorded here: Alan #163 in 1996, Billy #68 in 1998.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Alan #592, Billy #127.
Northern Ireland · Boys26 shared years, 1998–2023
Alan held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Billy in 8.
Highest recorded here: Alan #107 in 1999, Billy #169 in 2015.
The order changed in 2018: Billy moved ahead. In 2017 they stood at #186 and #279; by 2018 that had become #255 and #204.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Alan #348, Billy #232.
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 | Billy |
|---|---|---|
| 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) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #39 (2025) |
| 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)); Billy does not have one recorded yet.
- Alan and Billy both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Alan; Billy 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
Billy
Popularity journey
First recorded1970
First recorded at #305 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1970 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1970–2025
Highest recorded position: #39 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025 (recorded 1970–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #44 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys