Glen vs Oban
Glen and Obancompared 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.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Glen was ranked #307 and Oban #307 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Glen was ranked #3688 and Oban #2921 among boys in England and Wales.
Glen and Oban over time
Glen and Oban appear together in 1 published list, across 18 years of shared records. Oban held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Glen in 0.
The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Glen reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Oban 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.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys18 shared years, 2000–2024
Glen held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Oban in 8.
Highest recorded here: Glen #491 in 2000, Oban #1869 in 2019.
The order changed in 2015: Oban moved ahead. In 2014 they stood at #2690 and #4632; by 2015 that had become #4747 and #2707.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Glen #3688, Oban #2921.
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 | Glen | Oban |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 1 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-SCT |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #676 (2025) | Scotland · Boys #307 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Glen has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Oban.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-SCT.
How each name got here
Glen
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #92 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1963–1985
Highest recorded position: #29 among boys in New Zealand, in 1975 (recorded 1963–1985).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #676 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Oban
Popularity journey
First recorded2000
First recorded at #2142 among boys in England and Wales in 2000 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #2921 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys