Alexander vs James
Alexander and Jamescompared 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.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Alexander was ranked #38 and James #1 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Alexander was ranked #55 and James #4 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Alexander was ranked #13 and James #14 among boys in Scotland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, Alexander was ranked #22 and James #15 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Alexander was ranked #33 and James #15 among boys in New Zealand.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Alexander was ranked #36 and James #40 among boys in England and Wales.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Alexander was ranked #81 and James #355 among boys in Norway.
Alexander and James over time
Alexander and James appear together in 7 published lists, across 340 years of shared records. James held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Alexander in 2.
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.
James reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, Alexander in 2. 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 James changed places 6 times in New South Wales, Australia · Boys between 1952 and 2025, ending at #22 and #15.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Alexander and James averaged 11.2 places apart, ending at #36 and #40.
- Longest-running competitions
Alexander and James were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 71 years, from 1952 to 2025, ending at #22 and #15.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Alexander #14 in 1996, James #2 in 1997.
List by list
Norway · Boys72 shared years, 1948–2025
Alexander held the stronger position in 66 of those years, James in 6.
Highest recorded here: Alexander #12 in 1987, James #218 in 1978.
The order changed in 1964: Alexander moved ahead. In 1963 they stood at #355 and #348; by 1964 that had become #221 and #285.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Alexander #81, James #355.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys71 shared years, 1952–2025
Alexander held the stronger position in 3 of those years, James in 67.
Highest recorded here: Alexander #8 in 2014, James #3 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Alexander #22, James #15.
New Zealand · Boys62 shared years, 1954–2023
Alexander held the stronger position in 0 of those years, James in 62.
Highest recorded here: Alexander #13 in 2014, James #2 in 1993.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Alexander #33, James #15.
Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025
Alexander held the stronger position in 0 of those years, James in 62.
Highest recorded here: Alexander #31 in 2018, James #1 in 1994.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Alexander #55, James #4.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Alexander held the stronger position in 5 of those years, James in 24.
Highest recorded here: Alexander #14 in 1996, James #2 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Alexander #36, James #40.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Alexander held the stronger position in 0 of those years, James in 28.
Highest recorded here: Alexander #26 in 2014, James #1 in 2015.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Alexander #38, James #1.
Scotland · Boys16 shared years, 2024–2024
Alexander held the stronger position in 16 of those years, James in 0.
Highest recorded here: Alexander #12 in 2024, James #14 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Alexander #13, James #14.
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 | James |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Commonly interpreted as 'defender of men' or 'protector of the people'. | Supplanter, held by the heel (traditional interpretation via Jacob). |
| Origin | Greek | Hebrew, via Late Latin Iacomus |
| Pronunciation | /ˌælɪɡˈzændər/ | /ˈdʒeɪmz/ |
| Syllables | 4 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Alex, Xander, Sasha, Alessandro | Jim, Jamie, Iacomus |
| 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) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #4 (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 James is recorded with a Hebrew, via Late Latin Iacomus origin.
- Alexander has 4 syllables, compared with 2 for James.
- Alexander's recorded meaning differs from James'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
James
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #344 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2015 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #15 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys