Alan vs Piaras

Alan and Piarascompared 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 2005, Alan was ranked #72 and Piaras #448 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2020, Alan was ranked #231 and Piaras #392 among boys in Northern Ireland.

Alan and Piaras over time

Alan and Piaras appear together in 2 published lists, across 21 years of shared records. Alan held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Piaras in 0.

In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.

Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 of the lists they share.

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.

List by list

Northern Ireland · Boys13 shared years, 1997–2020
Alan held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Piaras in 1.
Highest recorded here: Alan #117 in 1998, Piaras #210 in 2003.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2020: Alan #231, Piaras #392.
Republic of Ireland · Boys8 shared years, 1966–2005
Alan held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Piaras in 0.
Highest recorded here: Alan #9 in 1980, Piaras #256 in 1966.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2005: Alan #72, Piaras #448.

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.

Where to go next

Comparisons that share a name, a rule or a published list with this one. Each is an existing comparison page with its own evidence — nothing here says these pairs are alike.

Other comparisons involving Alan

Pairs where Alan shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Gregory vs Alan
Gregory and Alan both fell over the same years in 3 registrars — New South Wales, Australia · Boys; New Zealand · Boys; Republic of Ireland · Boys. Each list is measured against its own starting position; the positions are never combined.
Gregory · Alan · 72 shared years, 1952–2025 · Moved together in several countries
Alan vs Keith
Alan and Keith both fell over the same years in 3 registrars — New South Wales, Australia · Boys; New Zealand · Boys; Republic of Ireland · Boys. Each list is measured against its own starting position; the positions are never combined.
Alan · Keith · 71 shared years, 1952–2025 · Moved together in several countries
Kevin vs Alan
Kevin and Alan both fell over the same years in 3 registrars — New South Wales, Australia · Boys; New Zealand · Boys; Republic of Ireland · Boys. Each list is measured against its own starting position; the positions are never combined.
Kevin · Alan · 74 shared years, 1952–2025 · Moved together in several countries
Alan vs Noel
Alan and Noel both fell over the same years in 3 registrars — New South Wales, Australia · Boys; New Zealand · Boys; Republic of Ireland · Boys. Each list is measured against its own starting position; the positions are never combined.
Alan · Noel · 74 shared years, 1952–2025 · Moved together in several countries

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Alan, Piaras
Field	Alan	Piaras
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-NIR, IE
Most recent popularity observation	Republic of Ireland · Boys #232 (2025)	Northern Ireland · Boys #392 (2020)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)	90/100	Not yet recorded
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)	95/100	88/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)	100/100	60/100
Data Confidence	medium	medium

What the data shows

Alan has a recorded origin (Uncertain (Brythonic or Alan-tribal)); Piaras does not have one recorded yet.
Alan and Piaras both have 2 syllables.
A meaning is recorded for Alan; Piaras doesn't have one written yet.
Both names have recorded usage in GB-NIR, IE.

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

Piaras

Popularity journey

First recorded1966
First recorded at #256 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1966 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1997–2020
Highest recorded position: #210 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2003 (recorded 1997–2020).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2020
Most recently recorded at #392 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2020.
Northern Ireland · Boys