Ailsa vs Alex
Ailsa 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 · Girls
In 2007, Ailsa was ranked #842 and Alex #96 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2019, Ailsa was ranked #336 and Alex #263 among girls in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Ailsa was ranked #1894 and Alex #2253 among girls in England and Wales.
Ailsa and Alex over time
Ailsa and Alex appear together in 1 published list, across 29 years of shared records. Alex held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Ailsa 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.
Alex reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Ailsa in none. 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
Ailsa and Alex changed places 7 times in England and Wales · Girls between 1996 and 2024, ending at #1894 and #2253.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Ailsa #619 in 1998, Alex #161 in 1996.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Ailsa held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Alex in 23.
Highest recorded here: Ailsa #619 in 1998, Alex #161 in 1996.
The order changed in 2023: Ailsa moved ahead. In 2022 they stood at #2488 and #2178; by 2023 that had become #1959 and #2504.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ailsa #1894, Alex #2253.
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 | Ailsa | Alex |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | A short form of Alexander, Alexandra and other names beginning with 'Alex' — from Greek elements meaning 'defender' and 'man/people'. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Greek, short form |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈæl.ɪks/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Scotland · Girls #148 (2024) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #37 (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
- Alex has a recorded origin (Greek, short form); Ailsa does not have one recorded yet.
- Ailsa and Alex both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Alex; Ailsa doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
How each name got here
Ailsa
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #686 among girls in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #1894 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls
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