Alex vs Rainer
Alex and Rainercompared 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 2022, Alex was ranked #139 and Rainer #4789 among boys in England and Wales.
Norway · Boys
In 1992, Alex was ranked #317 and Rainer #620 among boys in Norway.
Alex and Rainer over time
Alex and Rainer appear together in 2 published lists, across 30 years of shared records. Alex held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Rainer 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.
Rainer reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Alex 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 Rainer changed places 5 times in Norway · Boys between 1960 and 1992, ending at #317 and #620.
List by list
Norway · Boys22 shared years, 1960–1992
Alex held the stronger position in 19 of those years, Rainer in 3.
Highest recorded here: Alex #270 in 1974, Rainer #332 in 1960.
The order changed in 1974: Alex moved ahead. In 1973 they stood at #533 and #421; by 1974 that had become #270 and #573.
Most recent shared year, 1992: Alex #317, Rainer #620.
England and Wales · Boys8 shared years, 1997–2022
Alex held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Rainer in 0.
Highest recorded here: Alex #43 in 1997, Rainer #2859 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Alex #139, Rainer #4789.
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 | Rainer |
|---|---|---|
| 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, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #37 (2025) | England and Wales · Boys #4789 (2022) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Alex has a recorded origin (Greek, short form); Rainer does not have one recorded yet.
- Alex and Rainer both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Alex; Rainer 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
Rainer
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #392 among boys in Norway in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1952–1992
Highest recorded position: #332 among boys in Norway, in 1960 (recorded 1952–1992).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2022
Most recently recorded at #4789 among boys in England and Wales, in 2022.
England and Wales · Boys