Alan vs Graeme
Alan and Graemecompared 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 South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 1972, Alan was ranked #76 and Graeme #96 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2013, Alan was ranked #76 and Graeme #711 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 1975, Alan was ranked #80 and Graeme #86 among boys in New Zealand.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2001, Alan was ranked #151 and Graeme #280 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2023, Alan was ranked #464 and Graeme #4107 among boys in England and Wales.
Alan and Graeme over time
Alan and Graeme appear together in 4 published lists, across 91 years of shared records. Alan held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Graeme in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 of the lists they share.
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 Graeme changed places 6 times in New Zealand · Boys between 1954 and 1975, ending at #80 and #86.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 21 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, Alan and Graeme averaged 8.3 places apart, ending at #76 and #96.
- Longest-running competitions
Alan and Graeme were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 34 years, from 1968 to 2013, ending at #76 and #711.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Alan #163 in 1996, Graeme #755 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys34 shared years, 1968–2013
Alan held the stronger position in 34 of those years, Graeme in 0.
Highest recorded here: Alan #9 in 1975, Graeme #152 in 1992.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2013: Alan #76, Graeme #711.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys21 shared years, 1952–1972
Alan held the stronger position in 19 of those years, Graeme in 2.
Highest recorded here: Alan #27 in 1953, Graeme #33 in 1952.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1972: Alan #76, Graeme #96.
New Zealand · Boys21 shared years, 1954–1975
Alan held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Graeme in 5.
Highest recorded here: Alan #15 in 1954, Graeme #18 in 1954.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1975: Alan #80, Graeme #86.
England and Wales · Boys15 shared years, 1996–2023
Alan held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Graeme in 0.
Highest recorded here: Alan #163 in 1996, Graeme #755 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Alan #464, Graeme #4107.
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 | Graeme |
|---|---|---|
| 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, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #232 (2025) | England and Wales · Boys #4107 (2023) |
| 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)); Graeme does not have one recorded yet.
- Alan and Graeme both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Alan; Graeme doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, 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
Graeme
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #33 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 recorded1954–1975
Highest recorded position: #18 among boys in New Zealand, in 1954 (recorded 1954–1975).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2023
Most recently recorded at #4107 among boys in England and Wales, in 2023.
England and Wales · Boys