Alex vs Craig
Alex and Craigcompared 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 2023, Alex was ranked #27 and Craig #516 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2015, Alex was ranked #51 and Craig #415 among boys in Northern Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 1991, Alex was ranked #61 and Craig #97 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 1992, Alex was ranked #65 and Craig #90 among boys in New Zealand.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Alex was ranked #135 and Craig #478 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2025, Alex was ranked #207 and Craig #1705 among boys in England and Wales.
Alex and Craig over time
Alex and Craig appear together in 3 published lists, across 97 years of shared records. Alex held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Craig in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 2 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Craig reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 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.
- One took the other's place near the top
In Republic of Ireland · Boys, Alex moved into the top 50 at #35 in 2002 as Craig fell out of it to #59, having been #40 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2002, Alex moved ahead of Craig in Northern Ireland · Boys — #100 and #100 the year before became #74 and #92.
- Longest-running competitions
Alex and Craig were both ranked in England and Wales · Boys for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #207 and #1705.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys50 shared years, 1972–2023
Alex held the stronger position in 22 of those years, Craig in 28.
Highest recorded here: Alex #8 in 2009, Craig #39 in 1990.
The order changed in 2002: Alex moved ahead. In 2001 they stood at #45 and #40; by 2002 that had become #35 and #59.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Alex #27, Craig #516.
England and Wales · Boys30 shared years, 1996–2025
Alex held the stronger position in 30 of those years, Craig in 0.
Highest recorded here: Alex #42 in 2002, Craig #81 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Alex #207, Craig #1705.
Northern Ireland · Boys17 shared years, 1997–2015
Alex held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Craig in 4.
Highest recorded here: Alex #31 in 2009, Craig #68 in 1997.
The order changed in 2002: Alex moved ahead. In 2001 they stood at #100 and #100; by 2002 that had become #74 and #92.
Most recent shared year, 2015: Alex #51, Craig #415.
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 | Craig |
|---|---|---|
| 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'. | From the Scottish surname derived from Gaelic 'creag', meaning 'crag, rocks, outcrop' — originally denoting someone who lived near a crag. |
| Origin | Greek, short form | Scottish Gaelic (surname origin) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈæl.ɪks/ | /ˈkɹeɪɡ/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #37 (2025) | England and Wales · Boys #1705 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 94/100 |
| 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 Craig is recorded with a Scottish Gaelic (surname origin) origin.
- Alex has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Craig.
- Alex's recorded meaning differs from Craig's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
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
Craig
Popularity journey
First recorded1953
First recorded at #79 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1953 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1954–1992
Highest recorded position: #6 among boys in New Zealand, in 1971 (recorded 1954–1992).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #1705 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys