Alan vs Braeden
Alan and Braedencompared 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.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2015, Alan was ranked #156 and Braeden #314 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2023, Alan was ranked #464 and Braeden #4107 among boys in England and Wales.
Alan and Braeden over time
Alan and Braeden appear together in 1 published list, across 20 years of shared records. Alan held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Braeden in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Braeden reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Alan 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.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys20 shared years, 2000–2023
Alan held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Braeden in 0.
Highest recorded here: Alan #170 in 2015, Braeden #1175 in 2009.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Alan #464, Braeden #4107.
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 | Braeden |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #232 (2025) | England and Wales · Boys #4107 (2023) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Alan has a recorded origin (Uncertain (Brythonic or Alan-tribal)); Braeden does not have one recorded yet.
- Alan and Braeden both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Alan; Braeden doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR.
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
Braeden
Popularity journey
First recorded2000
First recorded at #2501 among boys in England and Wales in 2000 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2023
Most recently recorded at #4107 among boys in England and Wales, in 2023.
England and Wales · Boys