Alba vs Dylan
Alba and Dylancompared 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.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Alba was ranked #2921 and Dylan #64 among boys in England and Wales.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Alba was ranked #66 and Dylan #790 among girls in Scotland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Alba was ranked #119 and Dylan #1743 among girls in England and Wales.
Alba and Dylan over time
Alba and Dylan appear together in 1 published list, across 26 years of shared records. Alba held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Dylan 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.
Dylan reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Alba 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.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls26 shared years, 1996–2024
Alba held the stronger position in 25 of those years, Dylan in 1.
Highest recorded here: Alba #119 in 2024, Dylan #1454 in 2021.
The order changed in 1998: Alba moved ahead. In 1997 they stood at #2683 and #2350; by 1998 that had become #1480 and #3848.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Alba #119, Dylan #1743.
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 | Alba | Dylan |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Traditionally associated with the sea/tide — popularly glossed as 'great tide' or 'born from the sea', reflecting the mythological figure's role. Some scholars theorise the figure may reflect an earlier, otherwise unattested Celtic sea god — treat as a proposed origin, not settled fact. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Welsh |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈdɪlən/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #105 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #69 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Dylan has a recorded origin (Welsh); Alba does not have one recorded yet.
- Alba and Dylan both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Dylan; Alba doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
How each name got here
Alba
Popularity journey
First recorded1990
First recorded at #546 among girls in Norway in 1990 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #105 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls
Dylan
Popularity journey
First recorded1969
First recorded at #246 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1969 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1980–2020
Highest recorded position: #7 among boys in New Zealand, in 1992 (recorded 1980–2020).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #69 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys