Alan vs William
Alan and Williamcompared 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.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Alan was ranked #274 and William #3 among boys in Norway.
New Zealand · Boys
In 1988, Alan was ranked #98 and William #20 among boys in New Zealand.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Alan was ranked #592 and William #27 among boys in England and Wales.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 1983, Alan was ranked #100 and William #36 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2023, Alan was ranked #348 and William #58 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Alan was ranked #352 and William #66 among boys in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Alan was ranked #232 and William #73 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Alan and William over time
Alan and William appear together in 6 published lists, across 256 years of shared records. William held the stronger position in more years in 6 of them, Alan in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
William reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 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 William changed places 6 times in Norway · Boys between 1946 and 2025, ending at #274 and #3.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 32 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, Alan and William averaged 27.1 places apart, ending at #100 and #36.
- Longest-running competitions
Alan and William were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 32 years, from 1952 to 1983, ending at #100 and #36.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in New South Wales, Australia · Boys within 2 years — Alan #27 in 1953, William #12 in 1952.
List by list
Norway · Boys72 shared years, 1946–2025
Alan held the stronger position in 3 of those years, William in 69.
Highest recorded here: Alan #184 in 2015, William #1 in 2012.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Alan #274, William #3.
Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025
Alan held the stronger position in 25 of those years, William in 37.
Highest recorded here: Alan #9 in 1975, William #8 in 1964.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Alan #232, William #73.
New Zealand · Boys34 shared years, 1954–1988
Alan held the stronger position in 0 of those years, William in 34.
Highest recorded here: Alan #15 in 1954, William #11 in 1954.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1988: Alan #98, William #20.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys32 shared years, 1952–1983
Alan held the stronger position in 0 of those years, William in 32.
Highest recorded here: Alan #27 in 1953, William #12 in 1952.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1983: Alan #100, William #36.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Alan held the stronger position in 0 of those years, William in 29.
Highest recorded here: Alan #163 in 1996, William #7 in 2006.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Alan #592, William #27.
Northern Ireland · Boys27 shared years, 1997–2023
Alan held the stronger position in 0 of those years, William in 27.
Highest recorded here: Alan #107 in 1999, William #26 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Alan #348, William #58.
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 | William |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| 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. | Commonly interpreted as 'resolute protector' or 'will helmet', combining the ideas of desire/will and protection. |
| Origin | Uncertain (Brythonic or Alan-tribal) | Germanic (Old Frankish/Old High German Willehelm) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈæl.ən/ | /ˈwɪljəm/ |
| 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, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #232 (2025) | Norway · Boys #3 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| 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 is recorded with a Uncertain (Brythonic or Alan-tribal) origin, while William is recorded with a Germanic (Old Frankish/Old High German Willehelm) origin.
- Alan and William both have 2 syllables.
- Alan's recorded meaning differs from William's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, 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
William
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #277 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1952–2025
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2009 (recorded 1952–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #11 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys