Alexander vs Rainer
Alexander and Rainercompared 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.
Norway · Boys
In 1992, Alexander was ranked #20 and Rainer #620 among boys in Norway.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2022, Alexander was ranked #28 and Rainer #4789 among boys in England and Wales.
Alexander and Rainer over time
Alexander and Rainer appear together in 2 published lists, across 34 years of shared records. Alexander held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Rainer in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Rainer reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 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.
- Mirrored each other
Over 26 shared years in Norway · Boys, Alexander rose about as far as Rainer fell — from #351 and #392 in 1952 to #20 and #620 in 1992.
List by list
Norway · Boys26 shared years, 1952–1992
Alexander held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Rainer in 0.
Highest recorded here: Alexander #12 in 1987, Rainer #332 in 1960.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1992: Alexander #20, Rainer #620.
England and Wales · Boys8 shared years, 1997–2022
Alexander held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Rainer in 0.
Highest recorded here: Alexander #16 in 1997, Rainer #2859 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Alexander #28, Rainer #4789.
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 | Rainer |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | GB-ENW, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | United Kingdom #11 (2025) | England and Wales · Boys #4789 (2022) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 65/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 70/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | high | medium |
What the data shows
- Alexander has a recorded origin (Greek); Rainer does not have one recorded yet.
- Alexander has 4 syllables, compared with 2 for Rainer.
- A meaning is recorded for Alexander; Rainer doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, NO.
- The available evidence gives Alexander a "high" Data Confidence level and Rainer 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
Rainer
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #392 among boys in Norway in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1952–1992
Highest recorded position: #332 among boys in Norway, in 1960 (recorded 1952–1992).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2022
Most recently recorded at #4789 among boys in England and Wales, in 2022.
England and Wales · Boys