Alex vs Zac
Alex and Zaccompared 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 · Boys
In 2025, Alex was ranked #37 and Zac #223 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2012, Alex was ranked #58 and Zac #87 among boys in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2012, Alex was ranked #90 and Zac #91 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Alex was ranked #108 and Zac #216 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Alex was ranked #135 and Zac #176 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Alex was ranked #171 and Zac #442 among boys in England and Wales.
Alex and Zac over time
Alex and Zac appear together in 4 published lists, across 96 years of shared records. Alex held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Zac in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Alex reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, Zac in 1. 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.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Northern Ireland · Boys within 2 years — Alex #31 in 2009, Zac #88 in 2010.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Alex held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Zac in 0.
Highest recorded here: Alex #42 in 2002, Zac #110 in 2010.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Alex #171, Zac #442.
Northern Ireland · Boys27 shared years, 1997–2024
Alex held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Zac in 0.
Highest recorded here: Alex #31 in 2009, Zac #88 in 2010.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Alex #108, Zac #216.
Republic of Ireland · Boys25 shared years, 2001–2025
Alex held the stronger position in 25 of those years, Zac in 0.
Highest recorded here: Alex #8 in 2009, Zac #179 in 2019.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Alex #37, Zac #223.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys15 shared years, 1998–2012
Alex held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Zac in 1.
Highest recorded here: Alex #53 in 2005, Zac #65 in 2002.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2012: Alex #90, Zac #91.
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 | Zac |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #37 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #223 (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); Zac does not have one recorded yet.
- Alex has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Zac.
- A meaning is recorded for Alex; Zac doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
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
Zac
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #276 among boys in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Boys
Highest recorded1998–2012
Highest recorded position: #65 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2002 (recorded 1998–2012).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #223 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys