Alex vs Mostafa
Alex and Mostafacompared 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.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Alex was ranked #171 and Mostafa #2921 among boys in England and Wales.
Norway · Boys
In 2019, Alex was ranked #201 and Mostafa #472 among boys in Norway.
Alex and Mostafa over time
Alex and Mostafa appear together in 2 published lists, across 63 years of shared records. Alex held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Mostafa 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.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 of the lists they share.
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.
- Longest-running competitions
Alex and Mostafa were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 36 years, from 1965 to 2019, ending at #201 and #472.
List by list
Norway · Boys36 shared years, 1965–2019
Alex held the stronger position in 34 of those years, Mostafa in 2.
Highest recorded here: Alex #164 in 2015, Mostafa #327 in 2001.
The order changed in 1985: Alex moved ahead. In 1984 they stood at #525 and #470; by 1985 that had become #386 and #589.
Most recent shared year, 2019: Alex #201, Mostafa #472.
England and Wales · Boys27 shared years, 1996–2024
Alex held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Mostafa in 0.
Highest recorded here: Alex #42 in 2002, Mostafa #1859 in 2009.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Alex #171, Mostafa #2921.
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 | Mostafa |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 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, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #37 (2025) | England and Wales · Boys #2921 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Alex has a recorded origin (Greek, short form); Mostafa does not have one recorded yet.
- Alex has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Mostafa.
- A meaning is recorded for Alex; Mostafa 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
Mostafa
Popularity journey
First recorded1958
First recorded at #472 among boys in Norway in 1958 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1958–2019
Highest recorded position: #327 among boys in Norway, in 2001 (recorded 1958–2019).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #2921 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys