Allan vs Jan
Allan and Jancompared 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, Allan was ranked #418 and Jan #149 among boys in Norway.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2019, Allan was ranked #646 and Jan #191 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Allan was ranked #1951 and Jan #514 among boys in England and Wales.
Allan and Jan over time
Allan and Jan appear together in 3 published lists, across 113 years of shared records. Jan held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Allan in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 2 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Allan reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Jan 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.
- Longest-running competitions
Allan and Jan were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 61 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #418 and #149.
List by list
Norway · Boys61 shared years, 1945–2025
Allan held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Jan in 61.
Highest recorded here: Allan #221 in 1956, Jan #1 in 1947.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Allan #418, Jan #149.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Allan held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Jan in 24.
Highest recorded here: Allan #489 in 1996, Jan #226 in 2017.
The order changed in 2002: Jan moved ahead. In 2001 they stood at #617 and #842; by 2002 that had become #1128 and #633.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Allan #1951, Jan #514.
Republic of Ireland · Boys23 shared years, 1967–2019
Allan held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Jan in 9.
Highest recorded here: Allan #121 in 1974, Jan #114 in 2012.
The order changed in 2004: Jan moved ahead. In 2003 they stood at #423 and #500; by 2004 that had become #506 and #351.
Most recent shared year, 2019: Allan #646, Jan #191.
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 | Jan |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | A form of Johannes used across many European languages, from Hebrew Yochanan via Greek Ioannes — 'Yahweh is gracious'. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Hebrew, via Dutch/Scandinavian/Central European transmission |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈjɑːn/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #418 (2025) | Norway · Boys #149 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Jan has a recorded origin (Hebrew, via Dutch/Scandinavian/Central European transmission); Allan does not have one recorded yet.
- Allan has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Jan.
- A meaning is recorded for Jan; Allan doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, NZ.
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
Jan
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #2 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: #1 among boys in Norway, in 1946 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #149 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys