Alan vs Julius
Alan and Juliuscompared 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 2020, Alan was ranked #204 and Julius #556 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Alan was ranked #274 and Julius #379 among boys in Norway.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Alan was ranked #592 and Julius #1322 among boys in England and Wales.
Alan and Julius over time
Alan and Julius appear together in 3 published lists, across 93 years of shared records. Alan held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Julius 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 Julius changed places 16 times in Norway · Boys between 1966 and 2025, ending at #274 and #379.
- Longest-running competitions
Alan and Julius were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 54 years, from 1966 to 2025, ending at #274 and #379.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Alan #163 in 1996, Julius #725 in 1997.
List by list
Norway · Boys54 shared years, 1966–2025
Alan held the stronger position in 45 of those years, Julius in 9.
Highest recorded here: Alan #184 in 2015, Julius #231 in 2013.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Alan #274, Julius #379.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Alan held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Julius in 0.
Highest recorded here: Alan #163 in 1996, Julius #725 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Alan #592, Julius #1322.
Republic of Ireland · Boys10 shared years, 1999–2020
Alan held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Julius in 0.
Highest recorded here: Alan #53 in 1999, Julius #330 in 1999.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2020: Alan #204, Julius #556.
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 | Julius |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | GB-ENW, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #232 (2025) | Norway · Boys #379 (2025) |
| 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)); Julius does not have one recorded yet.
- Alan and Julius both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Alan; Julius doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE, NO.
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
Julius
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #363 among boys in Norway in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1952–2025
Highest recorded position: #231 among boys in Norway, in 2013 (recorded 1952–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #379 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys