Alexander vs Henry
Alexander and Henrycompared 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 2025, Alexander was ranked #22 and Henry #6 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Alexander was ranked #33 and Henry #8 among boys in New Zealand.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Alexander was ranked #13 and Henry #95 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Alexander was ranked #36 and Henry #14 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Alexander was ranked #38 and Henry #45 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Alexander was ranked #81 and Henry #50 among boys in Norway.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Alexander was ranked #55 and Henry #76 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Alexander and Henry over time
Alexander and Henry appear together in 7 published lists, across 282 years of shared records. Alexander held the stronger position in more years in 7 of them, Henry in 0.
The order between them changed and held in 4 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Alexander reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 5 of those lists, Henry 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2012, Henry moved ahead of Alexander in England and Wales · Boys — #23 and #28 the year before became #27 and #24.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Alexander and Henry changed places 5 times in Republic of Ireland · Boys between 1964 and 2025, ending at #55 and #76.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Alexander and Henry averaged 19.4 places apart, ending at #36 and #14.
- Mirrored each other
Over 31 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, Henry rose about as far as Alexander fell — from #14 and #97 in 1993 to #22 and #6 in 2025.
- Longest-running competitions
Alexander and Henry were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 31 years, from 1993 to 2025, ending at #22 and #6.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Scotland · Boys within 2 years — Alexander #12 in 2024, Henry #95 in 2024.
List by list
Norway · Boys73 shared years, 1948–2025
Alexander held the stronger position in 58 of those years, Henry in 15.
Highest recorded here: Alexander #12 in 1987, Henry #50 in 2025.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Alexander #81, Henry #50.
Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025
Alexander held the stronger position in 41 of those years, Henry in 21.
Highest recorded here: Alexander #31 in 2018, Henry #60 in 1964.
The order changed in 1987: Alexander moved ahead. In 1986 they stood at #145 and #118; by 1987 that had become #128 and #141.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Alexander #55, Henry #76.
New Zealand · Boys41 shared years, 1954–2023
Alexander held the stronger position in 33 of those years, Henry in 8.
Highest recorded here: Alexander #13 in 2014, Henry #8 in 2023.
The order changed in 2016: Henry moved ahead. In 2015 they stood at #18 and #29; by 2016 that had become #31 and #26.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Alexander #33, Henry #8.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys31 shared years, 1993–2025
Alexander held the stronger position in 22 of those years, Henry in 9.
Highest recorded here: Alexander #8 in 2014, Henry #4 in 2023.
The order changed in 2017: Henry moved ahead. In 2016 they stood at #9 and #18; by 2017 that had become #10 and #6.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Alexander #22, Henry #6.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Alexander held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Henry in 13.
Highest recorded here: Alexander #14 in 1996, Henry #10 in 2021.
The order changed in 2012: Henry moved ahead. In 2011 they stood at #23 and #28; by 2012 that had become #27 and #24.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Alexander #36, Henry #14.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Alexander held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Henry in 2.
Highest recorded here: Alexander #26 in 2014, Henry #22 in 2023.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Alexander #38, Henry #45.
Scotland · Boys18 shared years, 2024–2024
Alexander held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Henry in 0.
Highest recorded here: Alexander #12 in 2024, Henry #95 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Alexander #13, Henry #95.
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 | Henry |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Commonly interpreted as 'defender of men' or 'protector of the people'. | Home ruler, estate ruler. |
| Origin | Greek | Germanic, via Old French Henri |
| Pronunciation | /ˌælɪɡˈzændər/ | /ˈhɛnɹi/ |
| Syllables | 4 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Alex, Xander, Sasha, Alessandro | Harry, Hal, Heinrich, Henri |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | United Kingdom #11 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #6 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 65/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 70/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | high | high |
What the data shows
- Alexander is recorded with a Greek origin, while Henry is recorded with a Germanic, via Old French Henri origin.
- Alexander has 4 syllables, compared with 2 for Henry.
- Alexander's recorded meaning differs from Henry's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
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
Henry
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #102 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1993–2025
Highest recorded position: #4 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2023 (recorded 1993–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #6 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys