Alan vs Sami
Alan and Samicompared 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 2025, Alan was ranked #232 and Sami #829 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Alan was ranked #592 and Sami #297 among boys in England and Wales.
Norway · Boys
In 2024, Alan was ranked #306 and Sami #499 among boys in Norway.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Alan was ranked #352 and Sami #432 among boys in Scotland.
Alan and Sami over time
Alan and Sami appear together in 3 published lists, across 105 years of shared records. Alan held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Sami in 0.
The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
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.
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 Sami changed places 14 times in Norway · Boys between 1964 and 2024, ending at #306 and #499.
- Longest-running competitions
Alan and Sami were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 53 years, from 1964 to 2024, ending at #306 and #499.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Republic of Ireland · Boys within 2 years — Alan #35 in 1995, Sami #334 in 1995.
List by list
Norway · Boys53 shared years, 1964–2024
Alan held the stronger position in 45 of those years, Sami in 8.
Highest recorded here: Alan #184 in 2015, Sami #308 in 2004.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Alan #306, Sami #499.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Alan held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Sami in 8.
Highest recorded here: Alan #163 in 1996, Sami #239 in 2005.
The order changed in 2021: Sami moved ahead. In 2020 they stood at #298 and #324; by 2021 that had become #352 and #324.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Alan #592, Sami #297.
Republic of Ireland · Boys23 shared years, 1995–2025
Alan held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Sami in 0.
Highest recorded here: Alan #35 in 1995, Sami #334 in 1995.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Alan #232, Sami #829.
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 | Sami |
|---|---|---|
| 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-SCT, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #232 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #829 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 95/100 |
| 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)); Sami does not have one recorded yet.
- Alan and Sami both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Alan; Sami doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, 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
Sami
Popularity journey
First recorded1962
First recorded at #506 among boys in Norway in 1962 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #239 among boys in England and Wales, in 2005 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #829 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys