Alec vs Ashley
Alec and Ashleycompared 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 2020, Alec was ranked #342 and Ashley #637 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2013, Alec was ranked #398 and Ashley #398 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Alec was ranked #945 and Ashley #880 among boys in England and Wales.
Alec and Ashley over time
Alec and Ashley appear together in 2 published lists, across 51 years of shared records. Ashley held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Alec 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.
Ashley reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Alec 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
Alec and Ashley changed places 5 times in Republic of Ireland · Boys between 1977 and 2020, ending at #342 and #637.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Alec #262 in 1997, Ashley #40 in 1996.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Alec held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Ashley in 28.
Highest recorded here: Alec #262 in 1997, Ashley #40 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Alec #945, Ashley #880.
Republic of Ireland · Boys22 shared years, 1977–2020
Alec held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Ashley in 10.
Highest recorded here: Alec #249 in 1987, Ashley #186 in 1983.
The order changed in 2019: Alec moved ahead. In 2018 they stood at #749 and #749; by 2019 that had become #352 and #764.
Most recent shared year, 2020: Alec #342, Ashley #637.
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 | Alec | Ashley |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | Used for both boys and girls |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | |
| 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, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #829 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #443 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Alec and Ashley both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
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
Ashley
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #372 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1985–2011
Highest recorded position: #17 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1987 (recorded 1985–2011).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #443 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls