Aengus vs Alec
Aengus 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 2013, Aengus was ranked #711 and Alec #534 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Aengus was ranked #3254 and Alec #945 among boys in England and Wales.
Aengus and Alec over time
Aengus and Alec appear together in 2 published lists, across 23 years of shared records. Alec held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Aengus 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.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 of the lists they share.
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
Aengus and Alec changed places 5 times in Republic of Ireland · Boys between 1971 and 2013, ending at #711 and #534.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys14 shared years, 1971–2013
Aengus held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Alec in 7.
Highest recorded here: Aengus #233 in 1971, Alec #249 in 1987.
The order changed in 1997: Alec moved ahead. In 1996 they stood at #295 and #369; by 1997 that had become #303 and #303.
Most recent shared year, 2013: Aengus #711, Alec #534.
England and Wales · Boys9 shared years, 1997–2024
Aengus held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Alec in 9.
Highest recorded here: Aengus #1821 in 1998, Alec #262 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Aengus #3254, Alec #945.
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 | Aengus | Alec |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, IE | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Boys #3254 (2024) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #829 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 60/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Aengus and Alec both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE.
How each name got here
Aengus
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #204 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1964–2013
Highest recorded position: #200 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1973 (recorded 1964–2013).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #3254 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · 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