Alex vs Ken
Alex and Kencompared 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 2001, Alex was ranked #45 and Ken #409 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2023, Alex was ranked #152 and Ken #3523 among boys in England and Wales.
Norway · Boys
In 2016, Alex was ranked #182 and Ken #528 among boys in Norway.
Alex and Ken over time
Alex and Ken appear together in 2 published lists, across 78 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
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.
Ken reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 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.
- Mirrored each other
Over 52 shared years in Norway · Boys, Alex rose about as far as Ken fell — from #411 and #336 in 1955 to #182 and #528 in 2016.
- Longest-running competitions
Alex and Ken were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 52 years, from 1955 to 2016, ending at #182 and #528.
List by list
Norway · Boys52 shared years, 1955–2016
Alex held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Ken in 37.
Highest recorded here: Alex #171 in 2010, Ken #126 in 1971.
The order changed in 2001: Alex moved ahead. In 2000 they stood at #338 and #310; by 2001 that had become #258 and #381.
Most recent shared year, 2016: Alex #182, Ken #528.
England and Wales · Boys26 shared years, 1996–2023
Alex held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Ken in 0.
Highest recorded here: Alex #42 in 2002, Ken #1199 in 1999.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Alex #152, Ken #3523.
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 | Ken |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 1 |
| 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, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #37 (2025) | England and Wales · Boys #3523 (2023) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Alex has a recorded origin (Greek, short form); Ken does not have one recorded yet.
- Alex has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Ken.
- A meaning is recorded for Alex; Ken doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE, 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
Ken
Popularity journey
First recorded1955
First recorded at #336 among boys in Norway in 1955 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1955–2016
Highest recorded position: #126 among boys in Norway, in 1971 (recorded 1955–2016).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2023
Most recently recorded at #3523 among boys in England and Wales, in 2023.
England and Wales · Boys