Namewise

Alexander vs Mohammed

Alexander and Mohammedcompared 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.

  • Scotland · Boys

    In 2024, Alexander was ranked #13 and Mohammed #117 among boys in Scotland.

  • England and Wales · Boys

    In 2024, Alexander was ranked #36 and Mohammed #21 among boys in England and Wales.

  • Northern Ireland · Boys

    In 2024, Alexander was ranked #38 and Mohammed #278 among boys in Northern Ireland.

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys

    In 2025, Alexander was ranked #55 and Mohammed #468 among boys in Republic of Ireland.

  • Norway · Boys

    In 2025, Alexander was ranked #81 and Mohammed #128 among boys in Norway.

Alexander and Mohammed over time

Alexander and Mohammed appear together in 5 published lists, across 176 years of shared records. Alexander held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Mohammed 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.

Alexander reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Mohammed 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 2022, Mohammed moved ahead of Alexander in England and Wales · Boys — #27 and #35 the year before became #28 and #27.

  • Repeatedly exchanged positions

    Alexander and Mohammed changed places 4 times in Norway · Boys between 1948 and 2025, ending at #81 and #128.

  • Closest over the longest run

    Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Alexander and Mohammed averaged 6.4 places apart, ending at #36 and #21.

  • Mirrored each other

    Over 38 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Boys, Alexander rose about as far as Mohammed fell — from #135 and #288 in 1980 to #55 and #468 in 2025.

  • Longest-running competitions

    Alexander and Mohammed were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 73 years, from 1948 to 2025, ending at #81 and #128.

  • Peaked in the same years

    Both reached their highest recorded position in Northern Ireland · Boys within 2 years — Alexander #26 in 2018, Mohammed #255 in 2018.

List by list

  • Norway · Boys73 shared years, 1948–2025

    Alexander held the stronger position in 61 of those years, Mohammed in 12.

    Highest recorded here: Alexander #12 in 1987, Mohammed #102 in 2002.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Alexander #81, Mohammed #128.

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys38 shared years, 1980–2025

    Alexander held the stronger position in 38 of those years, Mohammed in 0.

    Highest recorded here: Alexander #31 in 2018, Mohammed #179 in 1998.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Alexander #55, Mohammed #468.

  • England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024

    Alexander held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Mohammed in 13.

    Highest recorded here: Alexander #14 in 1996, Mohammed #16 in 2008.

    The order changed in 2022: Mohammed moved ahead. In 2021 they stood at #27 and #35; by 2022 that had become #28 and #27.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Alexander #36, Mohammed #21.

  • Scotland · Boys26 shared years, 2024–2024

    Alexander held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Mohammed in 0.

    Highest recorded here: Alexander #12 in 2024, Mohammed #117 in 2024.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Alexander #13, Mohammed #117.

  • Northern Ireland · Boys10 shared years, 1999–2024

    Alexander held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Mohammed in 0.

    Highest recorded here: Alexander #26 in 2018, Mohammed #255 in 2018.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Alexander #38, Mohammed #278.

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 Mohammed

Pairs where Mohammed 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 — closest over the longest run.

All closest over the longest run→

Other pairs from England and Wales lists

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

England and Wales 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, Mohammed
FieldAlexanderMohammed
Record typeEditorially researched profileEditorially researched profile
Gender usagemalemale
MeaningCommonly interpreted as 'defender of men' or 'protector of the people'.Alternate transcription of the Arabic محمّد, traditionally interpreted as 'praiseworthy, commendable' — the same underlying name as Muhammad, spelled via a different, independently well-established transliteration.
OriginGreekArabic
Pronunciation/ˌælɪɡˈzændər//mu.ˈħam.mad/
Syllables43
Common variants / nicknamesAlex, Xander, Sasha, AlessandroMuhammad
Recorded regional usageAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZGB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO
Most recent popularity observationUnited Kingdom #11 (2025)Norway · Boys #128 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)65/10090/100
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)70/10076/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencehighhigh

What the data shows

  • Alexander is recorded with a Greek origin, while Mohammed is recorded with a Arabic origin.
  • Alexander has 4 syllables, compared with 3 for Mohammed.
  • Alexander's recorded meaning differs from Mohammed's — see the table above for each.
  • Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO.

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 #22 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.

    New South Wales, Australia · Boys

Mohammed

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1945

    First recorded at #218 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 recorded1996–2024

    Highest recorded position: #16 among boys in England and Wales, in 2008 (recorded 1996–2024).

    England and Wales · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #128 among boys in Norway, in 2025.

    Norway · Boys