Alex vs Ola
Alex and Olacompared 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 Ola #62 among boys in Norway.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2020, Alex was ranked #294 and Ola #700 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Alex was ranked #2253 and Ola #1743 among girls in England and Wales.
Alex and Ola over time
Alex and Ola appear together in 2 published lists, across 92 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.
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 Ola were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 66 years, from 1954 to 2025, ending at #259 and #62.
List by list
Norway · Boys66 shared years, 1954–2025
Alex held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Ola in 66.
Highest recorded here: Alex #154 in 2009, Ola #48 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Alex #259, Ola #62.
England and Wales · Girls26 shared years, 1996–2024
Alex held the stronger position in 22 of those years, Ola in 3.
Highest recorded here: Alex #161 in 1996, Ola #1279 in 2015.
The order changed in 2021: Ola moved ahead. In 2020 they stood at #1556 and #1773; by 2021 that had become #1866 and #1866.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Alex #2253, Ola #1743.
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 | Ola |
|---|---|---|
| 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, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #37 (2025) | Norway · Boys #62 (2025) |
| 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); Ola does not have one recorded yet.
- Alex and Ola both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Alex; Ola 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
Ola
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #53 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: #48 among boys in Norway, in 1946 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #62 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys