Alan vs Daithi
Alan and Daithicompared 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 Daithi #17 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Alan was ranked #232 and Daithi #509 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Alan was ranked #592 and Daithi #3254 among boys in England and Wales.
Alan and Daithi over time
Alan and Daithi appear together in 3 published lists, across 69 years of shared records. Alan held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Daithi in 1.
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 3 of those lists, and Daithi 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 2009, Daithi moved ahead of Alan in Northern Ireland · Boys — #152 and #182 the year before became #133 and #121.
- Longest-running competitions
Alan and Daithi were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 35 years, from 1973 to 2025, ending at #232 and #509.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys35 shared years, 1973–2025
Alan held the stronger position in 32 of those years, Daithi in 3.
Highest recorded here: Alan #10 in 1973, Daithi #71 in 2017.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Alan #232, Daithi #509.
Northern Ireland · Boys22 shared years, 1999–2023
Alan held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Daithi in 16.
Highest recorded here: Alan #107 in 1999, Daithi #17 in 2023.
The order changed in 2009: Daithi moved ahead. In 2008 they stood at #152 and #182; by 2009 that had become #133 and #121.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Alan #348, Daithi #17.
England and Wales · Boys12 shared years, 2009–2024
Alan held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Daithi in 0.
Highest recorded here: Alan #178 in 2012, Daithi #3011 in 2018.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Alan #592, Daithi #3254.
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 | Daithi |
|---|---|---|
| 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, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #232 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #509 (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)); Daithi does not have one recorded yet.
- Alan and Daithi both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Alan; Daithi doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
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
Daithi
Popularity journey
First recorded1973
First recorded at #320 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1973 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1999–2024
Highest recorded position: #17 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2023 (recorded 1999–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #509 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys