Akira vs Alex
Akira 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.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2025, Akira was ranked #2664 and Alex #207 among boys in England and Wales.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Akira was ranked #1229 and Alex #2605 among girls in England and Wales.
Akira and Alex over time
Akira and Alex appear together in 2 published lists, across 59 years of shared records. Alex held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Akira 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.
- Longest-running competitions
Akira and Alex were both ranked in England and Wales · Boys for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #2664 and #207.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys30 shared years, 1996–2025
Akira held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Alex in 30.
Highest recorded here: Akira #1130 in 1999, Alex #42 in 2002.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Akira #2664, Alex #207.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2025
Akira held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Alex in 17.
Highest recorded here: Akira #760 in 2015, Alex #161 in 1996.
The order changed in 2015: Akira moved ahead. In 2014 they stood at #1177 and #1177; by 2015 that had become #760 and #1204.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Akira #1229, Alex #2605.
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 | Akira | Alex |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | Used for both boys and girls | 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 | 3 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #1229 (2025) | 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) | 40/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Alex has a recorded origin (Greek, short form); Akira does not have one recorded yet.
- Akira has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Alex.
- A meaning is recorded for Alex; Akira doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW.
How each name got here
Akira
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #2096 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
Highest recorded1996–2025
Highest recorded position: #760 among girls in England and Wales, in 2015 (recorded 1996–2025).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #1229 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
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 #2605 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls