Alan vs Gregg
Alan and Greggcompared 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.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 1986, Alan was ranked #13 and Gregg #317 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2006, Alan was ranked #251 and Gregg #3385 among boys in England and Wales.
Alan and Gregg over time
Alan and Gregg appear together in 1 published list, across 10 years of shared records. Alan held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Gregg in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
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.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Alan #163 in 1996, Gregg #976 in 1996.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys10 shared years, 1996–2006
Alan held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Gregg in 0.
Highest recorded here: Alan #163 in 1996, Gregg #976 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2006: Alan #251, Gregg #3385.
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 | Gregg |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 1 |
| 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, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #232 (2025) | England and Wales · Boys #3385 (2006) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Alan has a recorded origin (Uncertain (Brythonic or Alan-tribal)); Gregg does not have one recorded yet.
- Alan has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Gregg.
- A meaning is recorded for Alan; Gregg doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, 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
Gregg
Popularity journey
First recorded1977
First recorded at #273 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1977 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1977–1986
Highest recorded position: #273 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1977 (recorded 1977–1986).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2006
Most recently recorded at #3385 among boys in England and Wales, in 2006.
England and Wales · Boys