Namewise

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 #12 and Henry #95 among boys in Scotland.

  • England and Wales · Boys

    In 2025, Alexander was ranked #40 and Henry #13 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 6 published lists, across 265 years of shared records. Alexander held the stronger position in more years in 6 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 30 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Alexander and Henry averaged 19.7 places apart, ending at #40 and #13.

  • 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 England and Wales · Boys for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #40 and #13.

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 · Boys30 shared years, 1996–2025

    Alexander held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Henry in 14.

    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, 2025: Alexander #40, Henry #13.

  • 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.

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.

Where to go next

Comparisons that share a name, a rule or a published list with this one. Each is an existing comparison page with its own evidence — nothing here says these pairs are alike.

Other comparisons involving Alexander

Pairs where Alexander shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other comparisons involving Henry

Pairs where Henry shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other pairs with the same kind of relationship

Pairs that qualify under the same rule as this one — one moved ahead of the other.

All one moved ahead of the other→

Other pairs from New South Wales, Australia lists

Pairs measured inside New South Wales, Australia's own published lists, where this pair's strongest relationship is also recorded. Positions in these lists are not comparable with another registrar's.

New South Wales, Australia overview→

Other pairs ranked together in the 2020s

Pairs both ranked in the same published list at some point between 2020 and 2029.

The 2020s across all registrars→

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Alexander, Henry
FieldAlexanderHenry
Record typeEditorially researched profileEditorially researched profile
Gender usagemalemale
MeaningCommonly interpreted as 'defender of men' or 'protector of the people'.Home ruler, estate ruler.
OriginGreekGermanic, via Old French Henri
Pronunciation/ˌælɪɡˈzændər//ˈhɛnɹi/
Syllables42
Common variants / nicknamesAlex, Xander, Sasha, AlessandroHarry, Hal, Heinrich, Henri
Recorded regional usageAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ
Most recent popularity observationUnited Kingdom #11 (2025)New South Wales, Australia · Boys #6 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)65/10090/100
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)70/10094/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencehighhigh

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

  1. 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

  2. Highest recorded1952–2025

    Highest recorded position: #8 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2014 (recorded 1952–2025).

    New South Wales, Australia · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #40 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Boys

Henry

Popularity journey

  1. 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

  2. Highest recorded1993–2025

    Highest recorded position: #4 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2023 (recorded 1993–2025).

    New South Wales, Australia · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #13 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Boys