Alex vs Cillian
Alex and Cilliancompared 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 2024, Alex was ranked #108 and Cillian #2 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Alex was ranked #37 and Cillian #9 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Alex was ranked #135 and Cillian #83 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Alex was ranked #171 and Cillian #177 among boys in England and Wales.
Alex and Cillian over time
Alex and Cillian appear together in 3 published lists, across 110 years of shared records. Alex held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Cillian in 1.
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.
Alex reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Cillian 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.
- One took the other's place near the top
In Northern Ireland · Boys, Cillian moved into the top 50 at #25 in 2015 as Alex fell out of it to #51, having been #42 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2015, Cillian moved ahead of Alex in Northern Ireland · Boys — #42 and #48 the year before became #51 and #25.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Alex and Cillian changed places 4 times in Republic of Ireland · Boys between 1972 and 2025, ending at #37 and #9.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 53 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Boys, Alex and Cillian averaged 37.5 places apart, ending at #37 and #9.
- Longest-running competitions
Alex and Cillian were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 53 years, from 1972 to 2025, ending at #37 and #9.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys53 shared years, 1972–2025
Alex held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Cillian in 30.
Highest recorded here: Alex #8 in 2009, Cillian #4 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Alex #37, Cillian #9.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Alex held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Cillian in 0.
Highest recorded here: Alex #42 in 2002, Cillian #177 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Alex #171, Cillian #177.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Alex held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Cillian in 10.
Highest recorded here: Alex #31 in 2009, Cillian #2 in 2024.
The order changed in 2015: Cillian moved ahead. In 2014 they stood at #42 and #48; by 2015 that had become #51 and #25.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Alex #108, Cillian #2.
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 | Cillian |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| 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'. | Probably from Old Irish 'cell' (church) combined with a diminutive suffix. |
| Origin | Greek, short form | Irish |
| 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, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #37 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #9 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Alex is recorded with a Greek, short form origin, while Cillian is recorded with a Irish origin.
- Alex and Cillian both have 2 syllables.
- Alex's recorded meaning differs from Cillian's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, 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 #259 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys
Cillian
Popularity journey
First recorded1970
First recorded at #305 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1970 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #2 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2024 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #9 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys