Alan vs Casey
Alan and Caseycompared 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 Casey #118 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Alan was ranked #352 and Casey #141 among boys in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2023, Alan was ranked #348 and Casey #145 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Alan was ranked #592 and Casey #244 among boys in England and Wales.
Alan and Casey over time
Alan and Casey appear together in 3 published lists, across 83 years of shared records. Alan held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Casey in 0.
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 3 of those lists, and Casey 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 2023, Casey moved ahead of Alan in Republic of Ireland · Boys — #173 and #175 the year before became #319 and #146.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Alan and Casey changed places 7 times in Northern Ireland · Boys between 2000 and 2023, ending at #348 and #145.
- Longest-running competitions
Alan and Casey were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 32 years, from 1971 to 2025, ending at #232 and #118.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys32 shared years, 1971–2025
Alan held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Casey in 3.
Highest recorded here: Alan #11 in 1984, Casey #118 in 2025.
The order changed in 2023: Casey moved ahead. In 2022 they stood at #173 and #175; by 2023 that had become #319 and #146.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Alan #232, Casey #118.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Alan held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Casey in 11.
Highest recorded here: Alan #163 in 1996, Casey #196 in 2000.
The order changed in 2021: Casey moved ahead. In 2020 they stood at #298 and #320; by 2021 that had become #352 and #344.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Alan #592, Casey #244.
Northern Ireland · Boys22 shared years, 2000–2023
Alan held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Casey in 4.
Highest recorded here: Alan #133 in 2009, Casey #145 in 2023.
The order changed in 2022: Casey moved ahead. In 2021 they stood at #266 and #433; by 2022 that had become #352 and #352.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Alan #348, Casey #145.
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 | Casey |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | Used for both boys and girls |
| 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 | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #232 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #118 (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)); Casey does not have one recorded yet.
- Alan and Casey both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Alan; Casey 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
Casey
Popularity journey
First recorded1971
First recorded at #304 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1971 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #61 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 2007 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #718 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls