Alec vs Samson
Alec and Samsoncompared 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.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2015, Alec was ranked #415 and Samson #342 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Alec was ranked #535 and Samson #619 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Alec was ranked #945 and Samson #651 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Alec was ranked #785 and Samson #785 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Alec and Samson over time
Alec and Samson appear together in 2 published lists, across 40 years of shared records. Alec held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Samson 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.
Alec reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Samson 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 Samson changed places 7 times in England and Wales · Boys between 1996 and 2024, ending at #945 and #651.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Republic of Ireland · Boys within 2 years — Alec #251 in 2001, Samson #347 in 2001.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Alec held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Samson in 13.
Highest recorded here: Alec #262 in 1997, Samson #452 in 2016.
The order changed in 2023: Samson moved ahead. In 2022 they stood at #646 and #679; by 2023 that had become #738 and #728.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Alec #945, Samson #651.
Republic of Ireland · Boys11 shared years, 2001–2024
Alec held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Samson in 0.
Highest recorded here: Alec #251 in 2001, Samson #347 in 2001.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Alec #785, Samson #785.
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 | Samson |
|---|---|---|
| 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, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #829 (2025) | Norway · Boys #439 (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 Samson 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
Samson
Popularity journey
First recorded1969
First recorded at #541 among boys in Norway in 1969 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #439 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys