Alex vs Olivia-May
Alex and Olivia-Maycompared 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 · Girls
In 2025, Alex was ranked #2605 and Olivia-May #3035 among girls in England and Wales.
Alex and Olivia-May over time
Alex and Olivia-May appear together in 1 published list, across 24 years of shared records. Alex held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Olivia-May in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Alex reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Olivia-May 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 Olivia-May changed places 4 times in England and Wales · Girls between 1999 and 2025, ending at #2605 and #3035.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls24 shared years, 1999–2025
Alex held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Olivia-May in 0.
Highest recorded here: Alex #186 in 2000, Olivia-May #1225 in 2011.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Alex #2605, Olivia-May #3035.
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 | Olivia-May |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | female |
| 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 | 4 |
| 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 |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #37 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #3035 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 64/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 40/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Alex has a recorded origin (Greek, short form); Olivia-May does not have one recorded yet.
- Alex has 2 syllables, compared with 4 for Olivia-May.
- A meaning is recorded for Alex; Olivia-May doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW.
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 #2605 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls
Olivia-May
Popularity journey
First recorded1999
First recorded at #3900 among girls in England and Wales in 1999 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Girls
Highest recorded1999–2025
Highest recorded position: #1225 among girls in England and Wales, in 2011 (recorded 1999–2025).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #3035 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls