Colin vs Dan
Colin and Dancompared 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, Colin was ranked #119 and Dan #456 among boys in Norway.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2021, Colin was ranked #433 and Dan #211 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Colin was ranked #348 and Dan #286 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Colin was ranked #1000 and Dan #1460 among boys in England and Wales.
Colin and Dan over time
Colin and Dan appear together in 4 published lists, across 119 years of shared records. Colin held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Dan in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 3 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Colin reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Dan 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Colin and Dan changed places 6 times in England and Wales · Boys between 1996 and 2024, ending at #1000 and #1460.
- Longest-running competitions
Colin and Dan were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 39 years, from 1946 to 2025, ending at #119 and #456.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Colin #311 in 1997, Dan #476 in 1997.
List by list
Norway · Boys39 shared years, 1946–2025
Colin held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Dan in 23.
Highest recorded here: Colin #119 in 2025, Dan #90 in 1988.
The order changed in 2006: Colin moved ahead. In 2005 they stood at #301 and #286; by 2006 that had become #330 and #426.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Colin #119, Dan #456.
Republic of Ireland · Boys38 shared years, 1974–2025
Colin held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Dan in 9.
Highest recorded here: Colin #41 in 1984, Dan #205 in 2005.
The order changed in 2025: Dan moved ahead. In 2024 they stood at #302 and #430; by 2025 that had become #348 and #286.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Colin #348, Dan #286.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Colin held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Dan in 3.
Highest recorded here: Colin #311 in 1997, Dan #476 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Colin #1000, Dan #1460.
Northern Ireland · Boys13 shared years, 2001–2021
Colin held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Dan in 4.
Highest recorded here: Colin #139 in 2001, Dan #204 in 2002.
The order changed in 2011: Dan moved ahead. In 2010 they stood at #248 and #387; by 2011 that had become #245 and #231.
Most recent shared year, 2021: Colin #433, Dan #211.
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 | Colin | Dan |
|---|---|---|
| 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, GB-SCT, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #119 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #286 (2025) |
| 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
- Colin has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Dan.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO.
How each name got here
Colin
Popularity journey
First recorded1946
First recorded at #326 among boys in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1952–1983
Highest recorded position: #22 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1952 (recorded 1952–1983).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #119 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys
Dan
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #326 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: #75 among boys in Norway, in 1987 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #456 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys