Aaron vs Alex
Aaron and Alexcompared 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 Alex #37 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2016, Aaron was ranked #88 and Alex #97 among boys in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2013, Aaron was ranked #92 and Alex #90 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Aaron was ranked #187 and Alex #108 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Aaron was ranked #114 and Alex #135 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Aaron was ranked #154 and Alex #171 among boys in England and Wales.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Aaron was ranked #334 and Alex #259 among boys in Norway.
Aaron and Alex over time
Aaron and Alex appear together in 6 published lists, across 207 years of shared records. Aaron held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Alex 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.
Aaron reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 5 of those lists, Alex 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2017, Alex moved ahead of Aaron in Northern Ireland · Boys — #50 and #63 the year before became #80 and #58.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Aaron and Alex changed places 6 times in England and Wales · Boys between 1996 and 2024, ending at #154 and #171.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Aaron and Alex averaged 8.6 places apart, ending at #154 and #171.
- Longest-running competitions
Aaron and Alex were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 43 years, from 1972 to 2025, ending at #334 and #259.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys53 shared years, 1972–2025
Aaron held the stronger position in 35 of those years, Alex in 18.
Highest recorded here: Aaron #6 in 1998, Alex #8 in 2009.
The order changed in 2008: Alex moved ahead. In 2007 they stood at #12 and #20; by 2008 that had become #12 and #10.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Aaron #71, Alex #37.
Norway · Boys43 shared years, 1972–2025
Aaron held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Alex in 37.
Highest recorded here: Aaron #162 in 2015, Alex #154 in 2009.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Aaron #334, Alex #259.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Aaron held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Alex in 13.
Highest recorded here: Aaron #31 in 1998, Alex #42 in 2002.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Aaron #154, Alex #171.
New Zealand · Boys28 shared years, 1987–2016
Aaron held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Alex in 13.
Highest recorded here: Aaron #21 in 1989, Alex #27 in 2004.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2016: Aaron #88, Alex #97.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Aaron held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Alex in 10.
Highest recorded here: Aaron #8 in 2000, Alex #31 in 2009.
The order changed in 2017: Alex moved ahead. In 2016 they stood at #50 and #63; by 2017 that had become #80 and #58.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Aaron #187, Alex #108.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys26 shared years, 1987–2013
Aaron held the stronger position in 19 of those years, Alex in 7.
Highest recorded here: Aaron #19 in 1989, Alex #53 in 2005.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2013: Aaron #92, Alex #90.
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 | Alex |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| 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. | A short form of Alexander, Alexandra and other names beginning with 'Alex' — from Greek elements meaning 'defender' and 'man/people'. |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew (likely of Egyptian origin) | Greek, short form |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɛrən/ | /ˈæl.ɪks/ |
| 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 | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #71 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #37 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 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
- Aaron is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew (likely of Egyptian origin) origin, while Alex is recorded with a Greek, short form origin.
- Aaron and Alex both have 2 syllables.
- Aaron's recorded meaning differs from Alex's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
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
Alex
Popularity journey
First recorded1954
First recorded at #346 among boys in Norway in 1954 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1972–2025
Highest recorded position: #8 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2009 (recorded 1972–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #259 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys