Alan vs Madhav
Alan and Madhavcompared 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.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Alan was ranked #592 and Madhav #1402 among boys in England and Wales.
Alan and Madhav over time
Alan and Madhav appear together in 1 published list, across 20 years of shared records. Alan held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Madhav in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Alan reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Madhav 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.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys20 shared years, 2001–2024
Alan held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Madhav in 0.
Highest recorded here: Alan #170 in 2015, Madhav #1402 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Alan #592, Madhav #1402.
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 | Madhav |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #232 (2025) | England and Wales · Boys #1402 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 40/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Alan has a recorded origin (Uncertain (Brythonic or Alan-tribal)); Madhav does not have one recorded yet.
- Alan and Madhav both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Alan; Madhav doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW.
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
Madhav
Popularity journey
First recorded2001
First recorded at #2587 among boys in England and Wales in 2001 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Boys
Highest recorded2001–2024
Highest recorded position: #1402 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024 (recorded 2001–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #1402 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys