Alan vs Norman
Alan and Normancompared 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 1992, Alan was ranked #20 and Norman #298 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 1957, Alan was ranked #21 and Norman #96 among boys in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 1962, Alan was ranked #41 and Norman #97 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2014, Alan was ranked #175 and Norman #398 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Alan was ranked #592 and Norman #2443 among boys in England and Wales.
Alan and Norman over time
Alan and Norman appear together in 3 published lists, across 62 years of shared records. Alan held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Norman in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Norman reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Alan 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.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Alan #163 in 1996, Norman #1337 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys27 shared years, 1964–1992
Alan held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Norman in 0.
Highest recorded here: Alan #9 in 1975, Norman #117 in 1968.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1992: Alan #20, Norman #298.
England and Wales · Boys24 shared years, 1996–2024
Alan held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Norman in 0.
Highest recorded here: Alan #163 in 1996, Norman #1337 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Alan #592, Norman #2443.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys11 shared years, 1952–1962
Alan held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Norman in 0.
Highest recorded here: Alan #27 in 1953, Norman #62 in 1953.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1962: Alan #41, Norman #97.
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 | Norman |
|---|---|---|
| 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/ | |
| 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, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #232 (2025) | England and Wales · Boys #2443 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| 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 has a recorded origin (Uncertain (Brythonic or Alan-tribal)); Norman does not have one recorded yet.
- Alan and Norman both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Alan; Norman doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, 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
Norman
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #63 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1952–1962
Highest recorded position: #62 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1953 (recorded 1952–1962).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #2443 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys