Alan vs Matas
Alan and Matascompared 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 Matas #829 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2021, Alan was ranked #266 and Matas #374 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Norway · Boys
In 2024, Alan was ranked #306 and Matas #494 among boys in Norway.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Alan was ranked #592 and Matas #1758 among boys in England and Wales.
Alan and Matas over time
Alan and Matas appear together in 4 published lists, across 88 years of shared records. Alan held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Matas in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Alan reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, Matas 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.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Alan #170 in 2015, Matas #489 in 2014.
List by list
Norway · Boys27 shared years, 1989–2024
Alan held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Matas in 1.
Highest recorded here: Alan #184 in 2015, Matas #257 in 2017.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Alan #306, Matas #494.
England and Wales · Boys24 shared years, 2001–2024
Alan held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Matas in 0.
Highest recorded here: Alan #170 in 2015, Matas #489 in 2014.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Alan #592, Matas #1758.
Republic of Ireland · Boys22 shared years, 2002–2025
Alan held the stronger position in 22 of those years, Matas in 0.
Highest recorded here: Alan #60 in 2002, Matas #213 in 2008.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Alan #232, Matas #829.
Northern Ireland · Boys15 shared years, 2006–2021
Alan held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Matas in 0.
Highest recorded here: Alan #133 in 2009, Matas #245 in 2011.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2021: Alan #266, Matas #374.
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 | Matas |
|---|---|---|
| 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, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #232 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #829 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| 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 has a recorded origin (Uncertain (Brythonic or Alan-tribal)); Matas does not have one recorded yet.
- Alan and Matas both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Alan; Matas doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, 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
Matas
Popularity journey
First recorded1989
First recorded at #637 among boys in Norway in 1989 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded2002–2025
Highest recorded position: #213 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2008 (recorded 2002–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #829 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys