Alan vs Garry
Alan and Garrycompared 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 1966, Alan was ranked #41 and Garry #100 among boys in New Zealand.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2009, Alan was ranked #64 and Garry #701 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 1974, Alan was ranked #94 and Garry #98 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2002, Alan was ranked #167 and Garry #281 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Alan was ranked #352 and Garry #727 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2023, Alan was ranked #464 and Garry #4991 among boys in England and Wales.
Alan and Garry over time
Alan and Garry appear together in 4 published lists, across 107 years of shared records. Alan held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Garry in 1.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Alan reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Garry 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 Garry changed places 5 times in New South Wales, Australia · Boys between 1952 and 1974, ending at #94 and #98.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 23 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, Alan and Garry averaged 9.1 places apart, ending at #94 and #98.
- Longest-running competitions
Alan and Garry were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 45 years, from 1964 to 2009, ending at #64 and #701.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Alan #163 in 1996, Garry #573 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys45 shared years, 1964–2009
Alan held the stronger position in 45 of those years, Garry in 0.
Highest recorded here: Alan #9 in 1975, Garry #79 in 1980.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2009: Alan #64, Garry #701.
England and Wales · Boys26 shared years, 1996–2023
Alan held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Garry in 0.
Highest recorded here: Alan #163 in 1996, Garry #573 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Alan #464, Garry #4991.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys23 shared years, 1952–1974
Alan held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Garry in 17.
Highest recorded here: Alan #27 in 1953, Garry #15 in 1954.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1974: Alan #94, Garry #98.
New Zealand · Boys13 shared years, 1954–1966
Alan held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Garry in 0.
Highest recorded here: Alan #15 in 1954, Garry #38 in 1955.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1966: Alan #41, Garry #100.
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 | Garry |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #232 (2025) | Scotland · Boys #727 (2024) |
| 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)); Garry does not have one recorded yet.
- Alan and Garry both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Alan; Garry 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
Garry
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #19 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 recorded1952–1974
Highest recorded position: #15 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1954 (recorded 1952–1974).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2023
Most recently recorded at #4991 among boys in England and Wales, in 2023.
England and Wales · Boys