Alan vs Lochlann
Alan and Lochlanncompared 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 2025, Alan was ranked #232 and Lochlann #188 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2023, Alan was ranked #348 and Lochlann #232 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Alan was ranked #352 and Lochlann #246 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2025, Alan was ranked #539 and Lochlann #1124 among boys in England and Wales.
Alan and Lochlann over time
Alan and Lochlann appear together in 3 published lists, across 67 years of shared records. Alan held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Lochlann in 0.
The order between them changed and held in 2 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 2 of those lists, Lochlann in 1. 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 2025, Lochlann moved ahead of Alan in Republic of Ireland · Boys — #240 and #302 the year before became #232 and #188.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys28 shared years, 1998–2025
Alan held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Lochlann in 0.
Highest recorded here: Alan #170 in 2015, Lochlann #1048 in 2000.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Alan #539, Lochlann #1124.
Republic of Ireland · Boys26 shared years, 1973–2025
Alan held the stronger position in 25 of those years, Lochlann in 1.
Highest recorded here: Alan #10 in 1973, Lochlann #188 in 2025.
The order changed in 2025: Lochlann moved ahead. In 2024 they stood at #240 and #302; by 2025 that had become #232 and #188.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Alan #232, Lochlann #188.
Northern Ireland · Boys13 shared years, 2006–2023
Alan held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Lochlann in 3.
Highest recorded here: Alan #133 in 2009, Lochlann #178 in 2018.
The order changed in 2022: Lochlann moved ahead. In 2021 they stood at #266 and #326; by 2022 that had become #352 and #311.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Alan #348, Lochlann #232.
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 | Lochlann |
|---|---|---|
| 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, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #232 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #188 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 76/100 |
| 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)); Lochlann does not have one recorded yet.
- Alan and Lochlann both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Alan; Lochlann doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in 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 #539 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys
Lochlann
Popularity journey
First recorded1973
First recorded at #320 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1973 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded2006–2024
Highest recorded position: #178 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2018 (recorded 2006–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #1124 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys