Aaron vs Alec
Aaron and Aleccompared 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.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Aaron was ranked #71 and Alec #829 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2017, Aaron was ranked #80 and Alec #318 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Aaron was ranked #114 and Alec #535 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Aaron was ranked #154 and Alec #945 among boys in England and Wales.
Aaron and Alec over time
Aaron and Alec appear together in 3 published lists, across 75 years of shared records. Aaron held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Alec in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Alec reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Aaron 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
Aaron and Alec were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 37 years, from 1971 to 2025, ending at #71 and #829.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Aaron #31 in 1998, Alec #262 in 1997.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys37 shared years, 1971–2025
Aaron held the stronger position in 37 of those years, Alec in 0.
Highest recorded here: Aaron #6 in 1998, Alec #249 in 1987.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Aaron #71, Alec #829.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Aaron held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Alec in 0.
Highest recorded here: Aaron #31 in 1998, Alec #262 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Aaron #154, Alec #945.
Northern Ireland · Boys9 shared years, 2003–2017
Aaron held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Alec in 0.
Highest recorded here: Aaron #12 in 2003, Alec #257 in 2006.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2017: Aaron #80, Alec #318.
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 | Aaron | Alec |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Best known as the name of Moses's elder brother and the first high priest of Israel in the Old Testament; the literal meaning of the name itself is not reliably established. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew (likely of Egyptian origin) | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɛrən/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 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-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #71 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #829 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 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
- Aaron has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew (likely of Egyptian origin)); Alec does not have one recorded yet.
- Aaron and Alec both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Aaron; Alec doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
How each name got here
Aaron
Popularity journey
First recorded1965
First recorded at #222 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1965 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1965–2025
Highest recorded position: #6 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1998 (recorded 1965–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #334 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys
Alec
Popularity journey
First recorded1971
First recorded at #257 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1971 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1971–2025
Highest recorded position: #249 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1987 (recorded 1971–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #829 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys