Alan vs Stefan
Alan and Stefancompared 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 Stefan #402 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Alan was ranked #274 and Stefan #272 among boys in Norway.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2023, Alan was ranked #348 and Stefan #312 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Alan was ranked #352 and Stefan #535 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Alan was ranked #592 and Stefan #385 among boys in England and Wales.
Alan and Stefan over time
Alan and Stefan appear together in 4 published lists, across 168 years of shared records. Alan held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Stefan 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.
Stefan reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Alan 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Alan and Stefan changed places 4 times in England and Wales · Boys between 1996 and 2024, ending at #592 and #385.
- Longest-running competitions
Alan and Stefan were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 69 years, from 1947 to 2025, ending at #274 and #272.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Alan #163 in 1996, Stefan #155 in 1996.
List by list
Norway · Boys69 shared years, 1947–2025
Alan held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Stefan in 58.
Highest recorded here: Alan #184 in 2015, Stefan #98 in 1990.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Alan #274, Stefan #272.
Republic of Ireland · Boys46 shared years, 1974–2025
Alan held the stronger position in 46 of those years, Stefan in 0.
Highest recorded here: Alan #9 in 1975, Stefan #154 in 1989.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Alan #232, Stefan #402.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Alan held the stronger position in 19 of those years, Stefan in 10.
Highest recorded here: Alan #163 in 1996, Stefan #155 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Alan #592, Stefan #385.
Northern Ireland · Boys24 shared years, 1997–2023
Alan held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Stefan in 3.
Highest recorded here: Alan #107 in 1999, Stefan #143 in 1997.
The order changed in 2021: Stefan moved ahead. In 2020 they stood at #231 and #334; by 2021 that had become #266 and #266.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Alan #348, Stefan #312.
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 | Stefan |
|---|---|---|
| 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, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #232 (2025) | Norway · Boys #272 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 88/100 |
| 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)); Stefan does not have one recorded yet.
- Alan and Stefan both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Alan; Stefan doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
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
Stefan
Popularity journey
First recorded1947
First recorded at #343 among boys in Norway in 1947 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1947–2025
Highest recorded position: #98 among boys in Norway, in 1990 (recorded 1947–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #272 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys