Alan vs Kevin
Alan and Kevincompared 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 1988, Alan was ranked #98 and Kevin #72 among boys in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 1983, Alan was ranked #100 and Kevin #76 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Alan was ranked #232 and Kevin #139 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Alan was ranked #274 and Kevin #186 among boys in Norway.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2022, Alan was ranked #352 and Kevin #207 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Alan was ranked #592 and Kevin #264 among boys in England and Wales.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Alan was ranked #352 and Kevin #432 among boys in Scotland.
Alan and Kevin over time
Alan and Kevin appear together in 6 published lists, across 250 years of shared records. Kevin held the stronger position in more years in 6 of them, Alan in 0.
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.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 2 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 Kevin changed places 4 times in Northern Ireland · Boys between 1997 and 2022, ending at #352 and #207.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 32 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, Alan and Kevin averaged 15.4 places apart, ending at #100 and #76.
- Longest-running competitions
Alan and Kevin were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 32 years, from 1952 to 1983, ending at #100 and #76.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Alan #163 in 1996, Kevin #141 in 1996.
List by list
Norway · Boys67 shared years, 1956–2025
Alan held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Kevin in 59.
Highest recorded here: Alan #184 in 2015, Kevin #44 in 2002.
The order changed in 1973: Kevin moved ahead. In 1972 they stood at #406 and #477; by 1973 that had become #458 and #245.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Alan #274, Kevin #186.
Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025
Alan held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Kevin in 45.
Highest recorded here: Alan #9 in 1975, Kevin #11 in 1987.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Alan #232, Kevin #139.
New Zealand · Boys34 shared years, 1954–1988
Alan held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Kevin in 33.
Highest recorded here: Alan #15 in 1954, Kevin #8 in 1954.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1988: Alan #98, Kevin #72.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys32 shared years, 1952–1983
Alan held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Kevin in 32.
Highest recorded here: Alan #27 in 1953, Kevin #15 in 1956.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1983: Alan #100, Kevin #76.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Alan held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Kevin in 27.
Highest recorded here: Alan #163 in 1996, Kevin #141 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Alan #592, Kevin #264.
Northern Ireland · Boys26 shared years, 1997–2022
Alan held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Kevin in 23.
Highest recorded here: Alan #107 in 1999, Kevin #60 in 1998.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Alan #352, Kevin #207.
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 | Kevin |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| 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. | An Anglicized form of the Irish Caoimhín, combining Old Irish 'cóem' (dear, beloved, gentle) with 'gein' (birth) — 'beloved birth'. Associated with Saint Caoimhín, who founded a monastery at Glendalough in the 6th century. |
| Origin | Uncertain (Brythonic or Alan-tribal) | Irish |
| Pronunciation | /ˈæl.ən/ | /ˈkɛv.ɪn/ |
| 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, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #232 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #139 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| 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 is recorded with a Uncertain (Brythonic or Alan-tribal) origin, while Kevin is recorded with a Irish origin.
- Alan and Kevin both have 2 syllables.
- Alan's recorded meaning differs from Kevin's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, 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
Kevin
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #26 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 recorded1954–1999
Highest recorded position: #8 among boys in New Zealand, in 1954 (recorded 1954–1999).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #186 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys