Allan vs Don
Allan and Doncompared 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 2019, Allan was ranked #646 and Don #764 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Allan was ranked #1951 and Don #2443 among boys in England and Wales.
Allan and Don over time
Allan and Don appear together in 2 published lists, across 58 years of shared records. Allan held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Don in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Allan reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Don 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Allan and Don changed places 10 times in Republic of Ireland · Boys between 1965 and 2019, ending at #646 and #764.
- Longest-running competitions
Allan and Don were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 30 years, from 1965 to 2019, ending at #646 and #764.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys30 shared years, 1965–2019
Allan held the stronger position in 25 of those years, Don in 1.
Highest recorded here: Allan #121 in 1974, Don #187 in 1979.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2019: Allan #646, Don #764.
England and Wales · Boys28 shared years, 1996–2024
Allan held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Don in 0.
Highest recorded here: Allan #489 in 1996, Don #1299 in 2005.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Allan #1951, Don #2443.
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 | Allan | Don |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #418 (2025) | England and Wales · Boys #2443 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Allan has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Don.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Allan
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #323 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1952–1985
Highest recorded position: #31 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1952 (recorded 1952–1985).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #418 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys
Don
Popularity journey
First recorded1965
First recorded at #207 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1965 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1965–2019
Highest recorded position: #187 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1979 (recorded 1965–2019).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #2443 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys