Alex vs Pola
Alex and Polacompared 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 2025, Alex was ranked #304 and Pola #718 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2021, Alex was ranked #350 and Pola #446 among girls in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Alex was ranked #2605 and Pola #872 among girls in England and Wales.
Alex and Pola over time
Alex and Pola appear together in 2 published lists, across 40 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.
Alex reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Pola 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 Pola changed places 10 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 2007 and 2025, ending at #304 and #718.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls22 shared years, 2004–2025
Alex held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Pola in 14.
Highest recorded here: Alex #199 in 2004, Pola #431 in 2016.
The order changed in 2012: Pola moved ahead. In 2011 they stood at #652 and #858; by 2012 that had become #916 and #731.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Alex #2605, Pola #872.
Republic of Ireland · Girls18 shared years, 2007–2025
Alex held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Pola in 5.
Highest recorded here: Alex #96 in 2007, Pola #199 in 2012.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Alex #304, Pola #718.
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 | Pola |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 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, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #37 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #718 (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); Pola does not have one recorded yet.
- Alex and Pola both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Alex; Pola doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, 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 #2605 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls
Pola
Popularity journey
First recorded2004
First recorded at #4598 among girls in England and Wales in 2004 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Girls
Highest recorded2007–2025
Highest recorded position: #199 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2012 (recorded 2007–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #872 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls