Alexander vs Dale
Alexander and Dalecompared 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.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 1991, Alexander was ranked #15 and Dale #100 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Alexander was ranked #36 and Dale #2671 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2022, Alexander was ranked #40 and Dale #657 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2016, Alexander was ranked #44 and Dale #358 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Alexander and Dale over time
Alexander and Dale appear together in 4 published lists, across 112 years of shared records. Alexander held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Dale in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Dale reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 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 Dale changed places 4 times in New South Wales, Australia · Boys between 1957 and 1991, ending at #15 and #100.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 25 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, Alexander and Dale averaged 30.9 places apart, ending at #15 and #100.
- Longest-running competitions
Alexander and Dale were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 43 years, from 1968 to 2022, ending at #40 and #657.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Alexander #14 in 1996, Dale #117 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys43 shared years, 1968–2022
Alexander held the stronger position in 43 of those years, Dale in 0.
Highest recorded here: Alexander #37 in 2014, Dale #89 in 1994.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Alexander #40, Dale #657.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Alexander held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Dale in 0.
Highest recorded here: Alexander #14 in 1996, Dale #117 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Alexander #36, Dale #2671.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys25 shared years, 1957–1991
Alexander held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Dale in 2.
Highest recorded here: Alexander #15 in 1991, Dale #75 in 1988.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1991: Alexander #15, Dale #100.
Northern Ireland · Boys15 shared years, 1997–2016
Alexander held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Dale in 0.
Highest recorded here: Alexander #40 in 2007, Dale #111 in 1998.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2016: Alexander #44, Dale #358.
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 | Dale |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | United Kingdom #11 (2025) | England and Wales · Boys #2671 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 65/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 70/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | high | medium |
What the data shows
- Alexander has a recorded origin (Greek); Dale does not have one recorded yet.
- Alexander has 4 syllables, compared with 2 for Dale.
- A meaning is recorded for Alexander; Dale doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
- The available evidence gives Alexander a "high" Data Confidence level and Dale 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
Dale
Popularity journey
First recorded1957
First recorded at #100 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1957 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1957–1991
Highest recorded position: #75 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1988 (recorded 1957–1991).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #2671 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys