Conan vs Dan
Conan 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.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Conan was ranked #24 and Dan #278 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Conan was ranked #232 and Dan #286 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Conan was ranked #352 and Dan #727 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Conan was ranked #1025 and Dan #1460 among boys in England and Wales.
Conan and Dan over time
Conan and Dan appear together in 3 published lists, across 86 years of shared records. Conan held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Dan 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.
Dan reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Conan 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
Conan and Dan changed places 5 times in England and Wales · Boys between 1996 and 2024, ending at #1025 and #1460.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 37 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Boys, Conan and Dan averaged 49.0 places apart, ending at #232 and #286.
- Longest-running competitions
Conan and Dan were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 37 years, from 1974 to 2025, ending at #232 and #286.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Conan #924 in 1998, Dan #476 in 1997.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys37 shared years, 1974–2025
Conan held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Dan in 15.
Highest recorded here: Conan #190 in 1987, Dan #205 in 2005.
The order changed in 2022: Conan moved ahead. In 2021 they stood at #296 and #210; by 2022 that had become #239 and #276.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Conan #232, Dan #286.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Conan held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Dan in 20.
Highest recorded here: Conan #924 in 1998, Dan #476 in 1997.
The order changed in 2021: Conan moved ahead. In 2020 they stood at #1379 and #1111; by 2021 that had become #1023 and #1782.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Conan #1025, Dan #1460.
Northern Ireland · Boys20 shared years, 2001–2024
Conan held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Dan in 0.
Highest recorded here: Conan #24 in 2024, Dan #200 in 2023.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Conan #24, Dan #278.
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 | Conan | Dan |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Combines the Irish 'cú' (wolf, hound) with a diminutive suffix, giving 'little wolf' or 'little hound'. Borne by several early Irish saints and a companion of Fionn mac Cumhaill in legend. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Irish | 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 | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #232 (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
- Conan has a recorded origin (Irish); Dan does not have one recorded yet.
- Conan has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Dan.
- A meaning is recorded for Conan; Dan doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
How each name got here
Conan
Popularity journey
First recorded1967
First recorded at #245 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1967 — 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: #24 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2024 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #232 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · 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