Alan vs Jay
Alan and Jaycompared 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 1983, Alan was ranked #100 and Jay #73 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Alan was ranked #232 and Jay #309 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2023, Alan was ranked #348 and Jay #249 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Alan was ranked #352 and Jay #278 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Alan was ranked #592 and Jay #500 among boys in England and Wales.
Alan and Jay over time
Alan and Jay appear together in 3 published lists, across 91 years of shared records. Jay held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Alan 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 3 of those lists, and Jay 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 1998, Jay moved ahead of Alan in Northern Ireland · Boys — #136 and #143 the year before became #117 and #117.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Alan and Jay changed places 4 times in England and Wales · Boys between 1996 and 2024, ending at #592 and #500.
- Longest-running competitions
Alan and Jay were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 35 years, from 1988 to 2025, ending at #232 and #309.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys35 shared years, 1988–2025
Alan held the stronger position in 34 of those years, Jay in 1.
Highest recorded here: Alan #17 in 1988, Jay #133 in 2009.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Alan #232, Jay #309.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Alan held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Jay in 19.
Highest recorded here: Alan #163 in 1996, Jay #59 in 2001.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Alan #592, Jay #500.
Northern Ireland · Boys27 shared years, 1997–2023
Alan held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Jay in 25.
Highest recorded here: Alan #107 in 1999, Jay #33 in 2009.
The order changed in 1998: Jay moved ahead. In 1997 they stood at #136 and #143; by 1998 that had become #117 and #117.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Alan #348, Jay #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.
Side by side
| Field | Alan | Jay |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #232 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #309 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 95/100 |
| 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)); Jay does not have one recorded yet.
- Alan has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Jay.
- A meaning is recorded for Alan; Jay doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, 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
Jay
Popularity journey
First recorded1975
First recorded at #100 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1975 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #33 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2009 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #309 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys