Alan vs Cathaoir

Alan and Cathaoircompared 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 2023, Alan was ranked #348 and Cathaoir #312 among boys in Northern Ireland.

Alan and Cathaoir over time

Alan and Cathaoir appear together in 1 published list, across 20 years of shared records. Alan held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Cathaoir in 0.

The order between them changed and held in one 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 1 of those lists, and Cathaoir 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.

Repeatedly exchanged positions
Alan and Cathaoir changed places 5 times in Northern Ireland · Boys between 1999 and 2023, ending at #348 and #312.

List by list

Northern Ireland · Boys20 shared years, 1999–2023
Alan held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Cathaoir in 3.
Highest recorded here: Alan #107 in 1999, Cathaoir #226 in 2019.
The order changed in 2022: Cathaoir moved ahead. In 2021 they stood at #231 and #334; by 2022 that had become #352 and #234.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Alan #348, Cathaoir #312.

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.

Where to go next

Comparisons that share a name, a rule or a published list with this one. Each is an existing comparison page with its own evidence — nothing here says these pairs are alike.

Other comparisons involving Alan

Pairs where Alan shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Gregory vs Alan
Gregory and Alan both fell over the same years in 3 registrars — New South Wales, Australia · Boys; New Zealand · Boys; Republic of Ireland · Boys. Each list is measured against its own starting position; the positions are never combined.
Gregory · Alan · 72 shared years, 1952–2025 · Moved together in several countries
Alan vs Ian
Alan and Ian both fell over the same years in 3 registrars — New South Wales, Australia · Boys; New Zealand · Boys; Republic of Ireland · Boys. Each list is measured against its own starting position; the positions are never combined.
Alan · Ian · 74 shared years, 1952–2025 · Moved together in several countries
Alan vs Keith
Alan and Keith both fell over the same years in 3 registrars — New South Wales, Australia · Boys; New Zealand · Boys; Republic of Ireland · Boys. Each list is measured against its own starting position; the positions are never combined.
Alan · Keith · 71 shared years, 1952–2025 · Moved together in several countries
Kevin vs Alan
Kevin and Alan both fell over the same years in 3 registrars — New South Wales, Australia · Boys; New Zealand · Boys; Republic of Ireland · Boys. Each list is measured against its own starting position; the positions are never combined.
Kevin · Alan · 74 shared years, 1952–2025 · Moved together in several countries

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Alan, Cathaoir
Field	Alan	Cathaoir
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-NIR
Most recent popularity observation	Republic of Ireland · Boys #232 (2025)	Northern Ireland · Boys #339 (2024)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)	90/100	Not yet recorded
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)	95/100	76/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)	100/100	40/100
Data Confidence	medium	medium

What the data shows

Alan has a recorded origin (Uncertain (Brythonic or Alan-tribal)); Cathaoir does not have one recorded yet.
Alan and Cathaoir both have 2 syllables.
A meaning is recorded for Alan; Cathaoir doesn't have one written yet.
Both names have recorded usage in 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

Cathaoir

Popularity journey

First recorded1999
First recorded at #241 among boys in Northern Ireland in 1999 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Northern Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1999–2024
Highest recorded position: #226 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2019 (recorded 1999–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #339 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2024.
Northern Ireland · Boys