Alex vs Dakota
Alex and Dakotacompared 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 2005, Alex was ranked #24 and Dakota #518 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2025, Alex was ranked #207 and Dakota #1538 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2023, Alex was ranked #391 and Dakota #264 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Alex was ranked #304 and Dakota #885 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Alex was ranked #2605 and Dakota #490 among girls in England and Wales.
Alex and Dakota over time
Alex and Dakota appear together in 4 published lists, across 94 years of shared records. Alex held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Dakota 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.
Alex reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, and Dakota 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 Dakota changed places 7 times in Northern Ireland · Girls between 2005 and 2023, ending at #391 and #264.
- Longest-running competitions
Alex and Dakota were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #2605 and #490.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Alex held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Dakota in 16.
Highest recorded here: Alex #161 in 1996, Dakota #400 in 2024.
The order changed in 2010: Dakota moved ahead. In 2009 they stood at #495 and #601; by 2010 that had become #674 and #516.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Alex #2605, Dakota #490.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2025
Alex held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Dakota in 0.
Highest recorded here: Alex #42 in 2002, Dakota #1273 in 2020.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Alex #207, Dakota #1538.
Northern Ireland · Girls18 shared years, 2005–2023
Alex held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Dakota in 5.
Highest recorded here: Alex #61 in 2006, Dakota #175 in 2015.
The order changed in 2023: Dakota moved ahead. In 2022 they stood at #350 and #446; by 2023 that had become #391 and #264.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Alex #391, Dakota #264.
Republic of Ireland · Girls17 shared years, 2005–2025
Alex held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Dakota in 0.
Highest recorded here: Alex #112 in 2005, Dakota #457 in 2019.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Alex #304, Dakota #885.
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 | Dakota |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | Used for both boys and girls |
| 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 | 3 |
| 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) | England and Wales · Girls #490 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 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
- Alex has a recorded origin (Greek, short form); Dakota does not have one recorded yet.
- Alex has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Dakota.
- A meaning is recorded for Alex; Dakota doesn't have one written yet.
- 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 #2605 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls
Dakota
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #1646 among girls in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Girls
Highest recorded2005–2024
Highest recorded position: #175 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 2015 (recorded 2005–2024).
Northern Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #490 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls