Alan vs Diego
Alan and Diegocompared 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 2017, Alan was ranked #186 and Diego #415 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Alan was ranked #232 and Diego #372 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Norway · Boys
In 2023, Alan was ranked #247 and Diego #504 among boys in Norway.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Alan was ranked #352 and Diego #382 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Alan was ranked #592 and Diego #440 among boys in England and Wales.
Alan and Diego over time
Alan and Diego appear together in 3 published lists, across 82 years of shared records. Alan held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Diego 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 2 of those lists, Diego in 1. 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 Diego changed places 6 times in Norway · Boys between 1977 and 2023, ending at #247 and #504.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Alan held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Diego in 3.
Highest recorded here: Alan #163 in 1996, Diego #397 in 2015.
The order changed in 2022: Diego moved ahead. In 2021 they stood at #352 and #433; by 2022 that had become #472 and #435.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Alan #592, Diego #440.
Republic of Ireland · Boys27 shared years, 1980–2025
Alan held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Diego in 0.
Highest recorded here: Alan #9 in 1980, Diego #279 in 2021.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Alan #232, Diego #372.
Norway · Boys26 shared years, 1977–2023
Alan held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Diego in 3.
Highest recorded here: Alan #184 in 2015, Diego #396 in 1992.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Alan #247, Diego #504.
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 | Diego |
|---|---|---|
| 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, GB-SCT, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #232 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #372 (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)); Diego does not have one recorded yet.
- Alan and Diego both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Alan; Diego doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO.
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
Diego
Popularity journey
First recorded1977
First recorded at #600 among boys in Norway in 1977 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1980–2025
Highest recorded position: #279 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2021 (recorded 1980–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #372 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys