Alex vs Phillipa
Alex and Phillipacompared 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 · Girls
In 2012, Alex was ranked #295 and Phillipa #907 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2023, Alex was ranked #2504 and Phillipa #3598 among girls in England and Wales.
Alex and Phillipa over time
Alex and Phillipa appear together in 1 published list, across 28 years of shared records. Alex held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Phillipa in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
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.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Alex #161 in 1996, Phillipa #635 in 1996.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls28 shared years, 1996–2023
Alex held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Phillipa in 0.
Highest recorded here: Alex #161 in 1996, Phillipa #635 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Alex #2504, Phillipa #3598.
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 | Phillipa |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 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, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #37 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #3598 (2023) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 76/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Alex has a recorded origin (Greek, short form); Phillipa does not have one recorded yet.
- Alex has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Phillipa.
- A meaning is recorded for Alex; Phillipa doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE.
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
Phillipa
Popularity journey
First recorded1968
First recorded at #401 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1968 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1968–2012
Highest recorded position: #401 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1968 (recorded 1968–2012).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2023
Most recently recorded at #3598 among girls in England and Wales, in 2023.
England and Wales · Girls