Alec vs Bobby
Alec and Bobbycompared 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 2025, Alec was ranked #829 and Bobby #30 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2017, Alec was ranked #318 and Bobby #62 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Alec was ranked #945 and Bobby #82 among boys in England and Wales.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Alec was ranked #535 and Bobby #246 among boys in Scotland.
Alec and Bobby over time
Alec and Bobby appear together in 3 published lists, across 70 years of shared records. Bobby held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Alec in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Alec reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Bobby 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.
- Longest-running competitions
Alec and Bobby were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 32 years, from 1983 to 2025, ending at #829 and #30.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys32 shared years, 1983–2025
Alec held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Bobby in 27.
Highest recorded here: Alec #249 in 1987, Bobby #27 in 2020.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Alec #829, Bobby #30.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Alec held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Bobby in 29.
Highest recorded here: Alec #262 in 1997, Bobby #57 in 2012.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Alec #945, Bobby #82.
Northern Ireland · Boys9 shared years, 2003–2017
Alec held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Bobby in 9.
Highest recorded here: Alec #257 in 2006, Bobby #59 in 2013.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2017: Alec #318, Bobby #62.
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 | Bobby |
|---|---|---|
| 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, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #829 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #30 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Alec and Bobby both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, 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
Bobby
Popularity journey
First recorded1980
First recorded at #321 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1980 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1980–2025
Highest recorded position: #27 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2020 (recorded 1980–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #30 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys