Alan vs Murray
Alan and Murraycompared 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 South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 1971, Alan was ranked #72 and Murray #92 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Alan was ranked #352 and Murray #88 among boys in Scotland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 1973, Alan was ranked #93 and Murray #100 among boys in New Zealand.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2014, Alan was ranked #175 and Murray #398 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Alan was ranked #232 and Murray #829 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Alan was ranked #592 and Murray #1282 among boys in England and Wales.
Alan and Murray over time
Alan and Murray appear together in 3 published lists, across 64 years of shared records. Alan held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Murray 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, and Murray 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.
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 Murray changed places 6 times in New Zealand · Boys between 1954 and 1973, ending at #93 and #100.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 20 shared years in New Zealand · Boys, Alan and Murray averaged 4.5 places apart, ending at #93 and #100.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Alan #163 in 1996, Murray #471 in 1997.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Alan held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Murray in 0.
Highest recorded here: Alan #163 in 1996, Murray #471 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Alan #592, Murray #1282.
New Zealand · Boys20 shared years, 1954–1973
Alan held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Murray in 9.
Highest recorded here: Alan #15 in 1954, Murray #16 in 1955.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1973: Alan #93, Murray #100.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys15 shared years, 1957–1971
Alan held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Murray in 0.
Highest recorded here: Alan #28 in 1957, Murray #70 in 1963.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1971: Alan #72, Murray #92.
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 | Murray |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | Originally a Scottish surname/place-name derived from the region of Moray; traditionally glossed as relating to 'seashore' or 'coastal land', though the exact pre-Gaelic (possibly Pictish) root is uncertain. |
| Origin | Uncertain (Brythonic or Alan-tribal) | Scottish Gaelic, from the place name Moray (possibly of Pictish origin) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈæl.ən/ | /ˈmɜri/ |
| 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, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #232 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #829 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| 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 is recorded with a Uncertain (Brythonic or Alan-tribal) origin, while Murray is recorded with a Scottish Gaelic, from the place name Moray (possibly of Pictish origin) origin.
- Alan and Murray both have 2 syllables.
- Alan's recorded meaning differs from Murray's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, 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
Murray
Popularity journey
First recorded1954
First recorded at #17 among boys in New Zealand in 1954 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New Zealand · Boys
Highest recorded1954–1973
Highest recorded position: #16 among boys in New Zealand, in 1955 (recorded 1954–1973).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #829 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys