Alan vs Pawel
Alan and Pawelcompared 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 2018, Alan was ranked #142 and Pawel #749 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2012, Alan was ranked #204 and Pawel #346 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Norway · Boys
In 2009, Alan was ranked #256 and Pawel #495 among boys in Norway.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Alan was ranked #592 and Pawel #4270 among boys in England and Wales.
Alan and Pawel over time
Alan and Pawel appear together in 3 published lists, across 80 years of shared records. Alan held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Pawel in 1.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Pawel reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Alan and Pawel changed places 4 times in Norway · Boys between 1961 and 2009, ending at #256 and #495.
- Longest-running competitions
Alan and Pawel were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 47 years, from 1961 to 2009, ending at #256 and #495.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Republic of Ireland · Boys within 2 years — Alan #64 in 2009, Pawel #251 in 2009.
List by list
Norway · Boys47 shared years, 1961–2009
Alan held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Pawel in 34.
Highest recorded here: Alan #232 in 2003, Pawel #54 in 1979.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2009: Alan #256, Pawel #495.
England and Wales · Boys20 shared years, 2005–2024
Alan held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Pawel in 0.
Highest recorded here: Alan #170 in 2015, Pawel #617 in 2009.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Alan #592, Pawel #4270.
Republic of Ireland · Boys13 shared years, 2006–2018
Alan held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Pawel in 0.
Highest recorded here: Alan #64 in 2009, Pawel #251 in 2009.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2018: Alan #142, Pawel #749.
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 | Pawel |
|---|---|---|
| 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) | England and Wales · Boys #4270 (2024) |
| 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)); Pawel does not have one recorded yet.
- Alan and Pawel both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Alan; Pawel 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
Pawel
Popularity journey
First recorded1955
First recorded at #432 among boys in Norway in 1955 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1955–2009
Highest recorded position: #54 among boys in Norway, in 1979 (recorded 1955–2009).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #4270 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys