Alan vs Frederick

Alan and Frederickcompared 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.

New Zealand · Boys
In 1954, Alan was ranked #15 and Frederick #97 among boys in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 1959, Alan was ranked #36 and Frederick #96 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Alan was ranked #592 and Frederick #55 among boys in England and Wales.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Alan was ranked #352 and Frederick #218 among boys in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Alan was ranked #232 and Frederick #329 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2023, Alan was ranked #348 and Frederick #249 among boys in Northern Ireland.

Alan and Frederick over time

Alan and Frederick appear together in 3 published lists, across 111 years of shared records. Alan held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Frederick 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 2 of those lists, Frederick 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.

One moved ahead of the other
In 2021, Frederick moved ahead of Alan in Northern Ireland · Boys — #231 and #270 the year before became #266 and #176.
Longest-running competitions
Alan and Frederick were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 60 years, from 1964 to 2025, ending at #232 and #329.

List by list

Republic of Ireland · Boys60 shared years, 1964–2025
Alan held the stronger position in 59 of those years, Frederick in 1.
Highest recorded here: Alan #9 in 1975, Frederick #105 in 1964.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Alan #232, Frederick #329.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Alan held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Frederick in 29.
Highest recorded here: Alan #163 in 1996, Frederick #55 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Alan #592, Frederick #55.
Northern Ireland · Boys22 shared years, 1998–2023
Alan held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Frederick in 4.
Highest recorded here: Alan #107 in 1999, Frederick #171 in 2018.
The order changed in 2021: Frederick moved ahead. In 2020 they stood at #231 and #270; by 2021 that had become #266 and #176.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Alan #348, Frederick #249.

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 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
Alan vs Noel
Alan and Noel 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 · Noel · 74 shared years, 1952–2025 · Moved together in several countries

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Alan, Frederick
Field	Alan	Frederick
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/
Syllables	2	3
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)	New South Wales, Australia · Boys #78 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)	90/100	Not yet recorded
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)	95/100	70/100
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)); Frederick does not have one recorded yet.
Alan has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Frederick.
A meaning is recorded for Alan; Frederick 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

Frederick

Popularity journey

First recorded1952
First recorded at #68 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #55 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #78 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys