Alistair vs Cianan
Alistair and Cianancompared 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.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2019, Alistair was ranked #365 and Cianan #312 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2013, Alistair was ranked #534 and Cianan #605 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2023, Alistair was ranked #556 and Cianan #4991 among boys in England and Wales.
Alistair and Cianan over time
Alistair and Cianan appear together in 1 published list, across 10 years of shared records. Alistair held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Cianan in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Cianan reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Alistair 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.
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.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Alistair #148 in 1998, Cianan #1761 in 1997.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys10 shared years, 1997–2023
Alistair held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Cianan in 0.
Highest recorded here: Alistair #148 in 1998, Cianan #1761 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Alistair #556, Cianan #4991.
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 | Alistair | Cianan |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 3 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #509 (2025) | Northern Ireland · Boys #404 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 76/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Alistair has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Cianan.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Alistair
Popularity journey
First recorded1956
First recorded at #97 among boys in New Zealand in 1956 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New Zealand · Boys
Highest recorded1956–1964
Highest recorded position: #87 among boys in New Zealand, in 1958 (recorded 1956–1964).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #509 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Cianan
Popularity journey
First recorded1992
First recorded at #337 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1992 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #220 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 1999 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #404 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2024.
Northern Ireland · Boys