Aaron vs Alexander
Aaron and Alexandercompared 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 2019, Aaron was ranked #86 and Alexander #12 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Aaron was ranked #114 and Alexander #13 among boys in Scotland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2016, Aaron was ranked #88 and Alexander #31 among boys in New Zealand.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Aaron was ranked #154 and Alexander #36 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Aaron was ranked #187 and Alexander #38 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Aaron was ranked #71 and Alexander #55 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Aaron was ranked #334 and Alexander #81 among boys in Norway.
Aaron and Alexander over time
Aaron and Alexander appear together in 6 published lists, across 248 years of shared records. Alexander held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Aaron in 2.
The order between them changed and held in 3 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 4 of those lists, Alexander 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.
- One took the other's place near the top
In Northern Ireland · Boys, Alexander moved into the top 50 at #26 in 2014 as Aaron fell out of it to #52, having been #39 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 1988, Alexander moved ahead of Aaron in New South Wales, Australia · Boys — #22 and #26 the year before became #25 and #19.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Aaron and Alexander changed places 6 times in Republic of Ireland · Boys between 1965 and 2025, ending at #71 and #55.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Aaron and Alexander averaged 49.9 places apart, ending at #154 and #36.
- Longest-running competitions
Aaron and Alexander were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 47 years, from 1970 to 2019, ending at #86 and #12.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Aaron #31 in 1998, Alexander #14 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys60 shared years, 1965–2025
Aaron held the stronger position in 45 of those years, Alexander in 15.
Highest recorded here: Aaron #6 in 1998, Alexander #31 in 2018.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Aaron #71, Alexander #55.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys47 shared years, 1970–2019
Aaron held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Alexander in 29.
Highest recorded here: Aaron #18 in 1986, Alexander #8 in 2014.
The order changed in 1988: Alexander moved ahead. In 1987 they stood at #22 and #26; by 1988 that had become #25 and #19.
Most recent shared year, 2019: Aaron #86, Alexander #12.
Norway · Boys43 shared years, 1972–2025
Aaron held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Alexander in 43.
Highest recorded here: Aaron #162 in 2015, Alexander #12 in 1987.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Aaron #334, Alexander #81.
New Zealand · Boys41 shared years, 1967–2016
Aaron held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Alexander in 24.
Highest recorded here: Aaron #10 in 1971, Alexander #13 in 2014.
The order changed in 1991: Alexander moved ahead. In 1990 they stood at #27 and #39; by 1991 that had become #29 and #25.
Most recent shared year, 2016: Aaron #88, Alexander #31.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Aaron held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Alexander in 29.
Highest recorded here: Aaron #31 in 1998, Alexander #14 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Aaron #154, Alexander #36.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Aaron held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Alexander in 11.
Highest recorded here: Aaron #8 in 2000, Alexander #26 in 2014.
The order changed in 2014: Alexander moved ahead. In 2013 they stood at #39 and #48; by 2014 that had become #52 and #26.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Aaron #187, Alexander #38.
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 | Alexander |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | Commonly interpreted as 'defender of men' or 'protector of the people'. |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew (likely of Egyptian origin) | Greek |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɛrən/ | /ˌælɪɡˈzændər/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 4 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Alex, Xander, Sasha, Alessandro |
| 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) | United Kingdom #11 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 65/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 70/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | high |
What the data shows
- Aaron is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew (likely of Egyptian origin) origin, while Alexander is recorded with a Greek origin.
- Aaron has 2 syllables, compared with 4 for Alexander.
- Aaron's recorded meaning differs from Alexander's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
- The available evidence gives Aaron a "medium" Data Confidence level and Alexander a "high" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
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
Alexander
Popularity journey
First recorded1948
First recorded at #320 among boys in Norway in 1948 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1952–2025
Highest recorded position: #8 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2014 (recorded 1952–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #22 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys