Alex vs Ciarrai
Alex and Ciarraicompared 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 · Girls
In 2019, Alex was ranked #263 and Ciarrai #424 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 1996, Alex was ranked #393 and Ciarrai #534 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Alex and Ciarrai over time
Alex and Ciarrai appear together in 1 published list, across 12 years of shared records. Alex held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Ciarrai in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Alex reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Ciarrai 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.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Northern Ireland · Girls within 2 years — Alex #56 in 2002, Ciarrai #238 in 2004.
List by list
Northern Ireland · Girls12 shared years, 1997–2019
Alex held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Ciarrai in 0.
Highest recorded here: Alex #56 in 2002, Ciarrai #238 in 2004.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2019: Alex #263, Ciarrai #424.
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 | Ciarrai |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | female |
| 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-NIR, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #37 (2025) | Northern Ireland · Girls #424 (2019) |
| 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); Ciarrai does not have one recorded yet.
- Alex and Ciarrai both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Alex; Ciarrai doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-NIR, IE.
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 #2605 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls
Ciarrai
Popularity journey
First recorded1997
First recorded at #271 among girls in Northern Ireland in 1997 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Northern Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1997–2019
Highest recorded position: #238 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 2004 (recorded 1997–2019).
Northern Ireland · Girls
Most recent2019
Most recently recorded at #424 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 2019.
Northern Ireland · Girls