Alex vs Saira
Alex and Sairacompared 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 2020, Alex was ranked #294 and Saira #834 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Alex was ranked #2605 and Saira #1512 among girls in England and Wales.
Alex and Saira over time
Alex and Saira appear together in 1 published list, across 30 years of shared records. Alex held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Saira 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.
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 Saira were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #2605 and #1512.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Alex #161 in 1996, Saira #428 in 1996.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Alex held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Saira in 14.
Highest recorded here: Alex #161 in 1996, Saira #428 in 1996.
The order changed in 2012: Saira moved ahead. In 2011 they stood at #652 and #749; by 2012 that had become #916 and #722.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Alex #2605, Saira #1512.
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 | Saira |
|---|---|---|
| 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, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #37 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #1512 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Alex has a recorded origin (Greek, short form); Saira does not have one recorded yet.
- Alex and Saira both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Alex; Saira 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 #2605 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls
Saira
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #428 among girls in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Girls
Highest recorded1996–2025
Highest recorded position: #428 among girls in England and Wales, in 1996 (recorded 1996–2025).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #1512 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls