Alan vs Stanley
Alan and Stanleycompared 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.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 1953, Alan was ranked #27 and Stanley #96 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Alan was ranked #592 and Stanley #102 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Alan was ranked #232 and Stanley #577 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2022, Alan was ranked #352 and Stanley #414 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Alan was ranked #352 and Stanley #478 among boys in Scotland.
Alan and Stanley over time
Alan and Stanley appear together in 3 published lists, across 68 years of shared records. Alan held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Stanley in 1.
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.
Alan reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Stanley in 1. 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 1999, Stanley moved ahead of Alan in England and Wales · Boys — #196 and #256 the year before became #232 and #200.
- Longest-running competitions
Alan and Stanley were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 31 years, from 1964 to 2025, ending at #232 and #577.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys31 shared years, 1964–2025
Alan held the stronger position in 31 of those years, Stanley in 0.
Highest recorded here: Alan #9 in 1980, Stanley #208 in 1967.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Alan #232, Stanley #577.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Alan held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Stanley in 26.
Highest recorded here: Alan #163 in 1996, Stanley #59 in 2015.
The order changed in 1999: Stanley moved ahead. In 1998 they stood at #196 and #256; by 1999 that had become #232 and #200.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Alan #592, Stanley #102.
Northern Ireland · Boys8 shared years, 2006–2022
Alan held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Stanley in 0.
Highest recorded here: Alan #156 in 2015, Stanley #250 in 2017.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Alan #352, Stanley #414.
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 | Stanley |
|---|---|---|
| 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, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #232 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #577 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 82/100 |
| 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)); Stanley does not have one recorded yet.
- Alan and Stanley both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Alan; Stanley doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, 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
Stanley
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #95 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 recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #59 among boys in England and Wales, in 2015 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #577 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys