Alan vs Pijus
Alan and Pijuscompared 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 2012, Alan was ranked #72 and Pijus #718 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2010, Alan was ranked #158 and Pijus #339 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2021, Alan was ranked #352 and Pijus #3990 among boys in England and Wales.
Alan and Pijus over time
Alan and Pijus appear together in 1 published list, across 14 years of shared records. Alan held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Pijus in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Pijus 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 #170 in 2015, Pijus #1920 in 2013.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys14 shared years, 2007–2021
Alan held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Pijus in 0.
Highest recorded here: Alan #170 in 2015, Pijus #1920 in 2013.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2021: Alan #352, Pijus #3990.
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 | Pijus |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #232 (2025) | England and Wales · Boys #3990 (2021) |
| 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)); Pijus does not have one recorded yet.
- Alan and Pijus both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Alan; Pijus doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, 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
Pijus
Popularity journey
First recorded2007
First recorded at #2741 among boys in England and Wales in 2007 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2021
Most recently recorded at #3990 among boys in England and Wales, in 2021.
England and Wales · Boys