Alex vs Erlend
Alex and Erlendcompared 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.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Alex was ranked #259 and Erlend #314 among boys in Norway.
Alex and Erlend over time
Alex and Erlend appear together in 1 published list, across 66 years of shared records. Erlend held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Alex 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.
Erlend 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2020, Alex moved ahead of Erlend in Norway · Boys — #201 and #196 the year before became #179 and #241.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Alex and Erlend changed places 5 times in Norway · Boys between 1954 and 2025, ending at #259 and #314.
- Longest-running competitions
Alex and Erlend were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 66 years, from 1954 to 2025, ending at #259 and #314.
List by list
Norway · Boys66 shared years, 1954–2025
Alex held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Erlend in 58.
Highest recorded here: Alex #154 in 2009, Erlend #32 in 1995.
The order changed in 2020: Alex moved ahead. In 2019 they stood at #201 and #196; by 2020 that had become #179 and #241.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Alex #259, Erlend #314.
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 | Erlend |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #37 (2025) | Norway · Boys #314 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 40/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Alex has a recorded origin (Greek, short form); Erlend does not have one recorded yet.
- Alex and Erlend both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Alex; Erlend doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in 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
Erlend
Popularity journey
First recorded1950
First recorded at #275 among boys in Norway in 1950 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1950–2025
Highest recorded position: #32 among boys in Norway, in 1995 (recorded 1950–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #314 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys