Alex vs Carsten
Alex and Carstencompared 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 2019, Alex was ranked #106 and Carsten #3937 among boys in England and Wales.
Norway · Boys
In 2020, Alex was ranked #179 and Carsten #421 among boys in Norway.
Alex and Carsten over time
Alex and Carsten appear together in 1 published list, across 41 years of shared records. Alex held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Carsten 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.
Carsten reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Alex 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
Alex and Carsten changed places 5 times in Norway · Boys between 1954 and 2020, ending at #179 and #421.
- Longest-running competitions
Alex and Carsten were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 41 years, from 1954 to 2020, ending at #179 and #421.
List by list
Norway · Boys41 shared years, 1954–2020
Alex held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Carsten in 15.
Highest recorded here: Alex #179 in 2020, Carsten #214 in 1968.
The order changed in 1986: Alex moved ahead. In 1985 they stood at #525 and #489; by 1986 that had become #384 and #613.
Most recent shared year, 2020: Alex #179, Carsten #421.
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 | Alex | Carsten |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | A short form of Alexander, Alexandra and other names beginning with 'Alex' — from Greek elements meaning 'defender' and 'man/people'. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Greek, short form | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈæl.ɪks/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #37 (2025) | Norway · Boys #421 (2020) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Alex has a recorded origin (Greek, short form); Carsten does not have one recorded yet.
- Alex and Carsten both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Alex; Carsten doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, NO.
How each name got here
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
Carsten
Popularity journey
First recorded1947
First recorded at #296 among boys in Norway in 1947 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1947–2020
Highest recorded position: #214 among boys in Norway, in 1968 (recorded 1947–2020).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2020
Most recently recorded at #421 among boys in Norway, in 2020.
Norway · Boys