Alfred vs Shaun
Alfred and Shauncompared 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 2025, Alfred was ranked #76 and Shaun #1359 among boys in England and Wales.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Alfred was ranked #278 and Shaun #727 among boys in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Alfred was ranked #286 and Shaun #577 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2017, Alfred was ranked #318 and Shaun #318 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Alfred and Shaun over time
Alfred and Shaun appear together in 2 published lists, across 72 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2005, Alfred moved ahead of Shaun in England and Wales · Boys — #171 and #149 the year before became #166 and #182.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Alfred and Shaun changed places 8 times in Republic of Ireland · Boys between 1966 and 2025, ending at #286 and #577.
- Longest-running competitions
Alfred and Shaun were both ranked in England and Wales · Boys for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #76 and #1359.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys42 shared years, 1966–2025
Alfred held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Shaun in 31.
Highest recorded here: Alfred #159 in 1966, Shaun #85 in 1989.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Alfred #286, Shaun #577.
England and Wales · Boys30 shared years, 1996–2025
Alfred held the stronger position in 22 of those years, Shaun in 8.
Highest recorded here: Alfred #76 in 2023, Shaun #76 in 1996.
The order changed in 2005: Alfred moved ahead. In 2004 they stood at #171 and #149; by 2005 that had become #166 and #182.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Alfred #76, Shaun #1359.
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 | Alfred | Shaun |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| 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 · Boys #26 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #577 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Alfred has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Shaun.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
How each name got here
Alfred
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #127 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1945–2025
Highest recorded position: #18 among boys in Norway, in 2023 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #76 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys
Shaun
Popularity journey
First recorded1965
First recorded at #84 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1965 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1967–1999
Highest recorded position: #34 among boys in New Zealand, in 1988 (recorded 1967–1999).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #1359 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys