Glenn vs Ian
Glenn and Iancompared 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.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 1986, Glenn was ranked #99 and Ian #61 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 1983, Glenn was ranked #100 and Ian #92 among boys in New Zealand.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Glenn was ranked #829 and Ian #262 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2013, Glenn was ranked #343 and Ian #343 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Norway · Boys
In 2012, Glenn was ranked #545 and Ian #414 among boys in Norway.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Glenn was ranked #5119 and Ian #535 among boys in England and Wales.
Glenn and Ian over time
Glenn and Ian appear together in 6 published lists, across 211 years of shared records. Ian held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Glenn in 2.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Ian reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, Glenn in 2. 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
Glenn and Ian changed places 6 times in New South Wales, Australia · Boys between 1952 and 1986, ending at #99 and #61.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 35 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, Glenn and Ian averaged 14.2 places apart, ending at #99 and #61.
- Longest-running competitions
Glenn and Ian were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 35 years, from 1952 to 1986, ending at #99 and #61.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Glenn #278 in 1996, Ian #138 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys55 shared years, 1964–2025
Glenn held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Ian in 55.
Highest recorded here: Glenn #92 in 1992, Ian #24 in 1990.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Glenn #829, Ian #262.
Norway · Boys54 shared years, 1952–2012
Glenn held the stronger position in 48 of those years, Ian in 6.
Highest recorded here: Glenn #57 in 1974, Ian #266 in 2002.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2012: Glenn #545, Ian #414.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys35 shared years, 1952–1986
Glenn held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Ian in 27.
Highest recorded here: Glenn #16 in 1962, Ian #9 in 1954.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1986: Glenn #99, Ian #61.
New Zealand · Boys29 shared years, 1954–1983
Glenn held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Ian in 18.
Highest recorded here: Glenn #28 in 1971, Ian #10 in 1955.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1983: Glenn #100, Ian #92.
England and Wales · Boys27 shared years, 1996–2024
Glenn held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Ian in 27.
Highest recorded here: Glenn #278 in 1996, Ian #138 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Glenn #5119, Ian #535.
Northern Ireland · Boys11 shared years, 1997–2013
Glenn held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Ian in 3.
Highest recorded here: Glenn #104 in 1997, Ian #118 in 1999.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2013: Glenn #343, Ian #343.
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 | Glenn | Ian |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | An Anglicized form of Scottish Gaelic Iain, itself from Latin Iohannes — ultimately from the same Hebrew root as John. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Hebrew, via Scottish Gaelic transmission |
| Pronunciation | /ˈiː.ən/ | |
| Syllables | 1 | 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 | Republic of Ireland · Boys #829 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #262 (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
- Ian has a recorded origin (Hebrew, via Scottish Gaelic transmission); Glenn does not have one recorded yet.
- Glenn and Ian both have 1 syllable.
- A meaning is recorded for Ian; Glenn 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
Glenn
Popularity journey
First recorded1948
First recorded at #329 among boys in Norway in 1948 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1952–1986
Highest recorded position: #16 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1962 (recorded 1952–1986).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #829 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Ian
Popularity journey
First recorded1947
First recorded at #351 among boys in Norway in 1947 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1952–1989
Highest recorded position: #9 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1954 (recorded 1952–1989).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #263 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys