Alexander vs Arnulf
Alexander and Arnulfcompared 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.
Norway · Boys
In 1973, Alexander was ranked #96 and Arnulf #488 among boys in Norway.
Alexander and Arnulf over time
Alexander and Arnulf appear together in 1 published list, across 19 years of shared records. Alexander held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Arnulf 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.
Arnulf reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Alexander 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
Alexander and Arnulf changed places 5 times in Norway · Boys between 1948 and 1973, ending at #96 and #488.
List by list
Norway · Boys19 shared years, 1948–1973
Alexander held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Arnulf in 9.
Highest recorded here: Alexander #96 in 1973, Arnulf #164 in 1948.
The order changed in 1964: Alexander moved ahead. In 1963 they stood at #355 and #286; by 1964 that had become #221 and #445.
Most recent shared year, 1973: Alexander #96, Arnulf #488.
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 | Alexander | Arnulf |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Commonly interpreted as 'defender of men' or 'protector of the people'. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Greek | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˌælɪɡˈzændər/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 4 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Alex, Xander, Sasha, Alessandro | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | United Kingdom #11 (2025) | Norway · Boys #488 (1973) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 65/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 70/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 40/100 |
| Data Confidence | high | medium |
What the data shows
- Alexander has a recorded origin (Greek); Arnulf does not have one recorded yet.
- Alexander has 4 syllables, compared with 2 for Arnulf.
- A meaning is recorded for Alexander; Arnulf doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in NO.
- The available evidence gives Alexander a "high" Data Confidence level and Arnulf a "medium" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
How each name got here
Alexander
Popularity journey
First recorded1948
First recorded at #320 among boys in Norway in 1948 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1952–2025
Highest recorded position: #8 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2014 (recorded 1952–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #22 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Arnulf
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #145 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1945–1973
Highest recorded position: #145 among boys in Norway, in 1945 (recorded 1945–1973).
Norway · Boys
Most recent1973
Most recently recorded at #488 among boys in Norway, in 1973.
Norway · Boys