Alex vs Ingolf
Alex and Ingolfcompared 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 1984, Alex was ranked #525 and Ingolf #619 among boys in Norway.
Alex and Ingolf over time
Alex and Ingolf appear together in 1 published list, across 14 years of shared records. Alex held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Ingolf 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.
Ingolf 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Alex and Ingolf changed places 5 times in Norway · Boys between 1954 and 1984, ending at #525 and #619.
List by list
Norway · Boys14 shared years, 1954–1984
Alex held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Ingolf in 6.
Highest recorded here: Alex #270 in 1974, Ingolf #229 in 1954.
The order changed in 1972: Alex moved ahead. In 1971 they stood at #433 and #388; by 1972 that had become #321 and #552.
Most recent shared year, 1984: Alex #525, Ingolf #619.
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 | Ingolf |
|---|---|---|
| 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 #619 (1984) |
| 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); Ingolf does not have one recorded yet.
- Alex and Ingolf both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Alex; Ingolf 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
Ingolf
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #187 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1945–1984
Highest recorded position: #187 among boys in Norway, in 1945 (recorded 1945–1984).
Norway · Boys
Most recent1984
Most recently recorded at #619 among boys in Norway, in 1984.
Norway · Boys