Alex vs Herman
Alex and Hermancompared 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 Herman #20 among boys in Norway.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2018, Alex was ranked #91 and Herman #4749 among boys in England and Wales.
Alex and Herman over time
Alex and Herman appear together in 1 published list, across 63 years of shared records. Herman 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.
Alex reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Herman 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 Herman changed places 15 times in Norway · Boys between 1954 and 2025, ending at #259 and #20.
- Longest-running competitions
Alex and Herman were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 63 years, from 1954 to 2025, ending at #259 and #20.
List by list
Norway · Boys63 shared years, 1954–2025
Alex held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Herman in 46.
Highest recorded here: Alex #154 in 2009, Herman #20 in 2025.
The order changed in 1990: Herman moved ahead. In 1989 they stood at #293 and #354; by 1990 that had become #391 and #203.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Alex #259, Herman #20.
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 | Herman |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | GB-ENW, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #37 (2025) | Norway · Boys #20 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Alex has a recorded origin (Greek, short form); Herman does not have one recorded yet.
- Alex and Herman both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Alex; Herman doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, 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
Herman
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #212 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1945–2025
Highest recorded position: #20 among boys in Norway, in 2025 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #20 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys