Alan vs Natan
Alan and Natancompared 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.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Alan was ranked #274 and Natan #324 among boys in Norway.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2023, Alan was ranked #319 and Natan #516 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2022, Alan was ranked #352 and Natan #352 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Alan was ranked #352 and Natan #727 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Alan was ranked #592 and Natan #1025 among boys in England and Wales.
Alan and Natan over time
Alan and Natan appear together in 4 published lists, across 74 years of shared records. Alan held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Natan 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 Natan 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 Natan changed places 4 times in Norway · Boys between 2004 and 2025, ending at #274 and #324.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Alan #170 in 2015, Natan #293 in 2015.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys26 shared years, 1998–2024
Alan held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Natan in 0.
Highest recorded here: Alan #170 in 2015, Natan #293 in 2015.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Alan #592, Natan #1025.
Norway · Boys22 shared years, 2004–2025
Alan held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Natan in 2.
Highest recorded here: Alan #184 in 2015, Natan #210 in 2019.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Alan #274, Natan #324.
Republic of Ireland · Boys17 shared years, 2006–2023
Alan held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Natan in 0.
Highest recorded here: Alan #64 in 2009, Natan #210 in 2015.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Alan #319, Natan #516.
Northern Ireland · Boys9 shared years, 2008–2022
Alan held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Natan in 0.
Highest recorded here: Alan #152 in 2008, Natan #244 in 2013.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Alan #352, Natan #352.
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 | Natan |
|---|---|---|
| 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, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #232 (2025) | Norway · Boys #324 (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)); Natan does not have one recorded yet.
- Alan and Natan both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Alan; Natan doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, 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
Natan
Popularity journey
First recorded1998
First recorded at #2901 among boys in England and Wales in 1998 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Boys
Highest recorded2004–2025
Highest recorded position: #210 among boys in Norway, in 2019 (recorded 2004–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #324 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys