Alexander vs Samuel
Alexander and Samuelcompared 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 Samuel #69 among boys in Scotland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, Alexander was ranked #22 and Samuel #38 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Alexander was ranked #33 and Samuel #50 among boys in New Zealand.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Alexander was ranked #36 and Samuel #60 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Alexander was ranked #38 and Samuel #64 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Alexander was ranked #55 and Samuel #76 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Alexander was ranked #81 and Samuel #75 among boys in Norway.
Alexander and Samuel over time
Alexander and Samuel appear together in 7 published lists, across 308 years of shared records. Samuel held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Alexander in 3.
The order between them changed and held in 3 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Samuel 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.
- One took the other's place near the top
In Norway · Boys, Samuel moved into the top 50 at #44 in 2019 as Alexander fell out of it to #53, having been #35 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2015, Alexander moved ahead of Samuel in England and Wales · Boys — #22 and #21 the year before became #22 and #23.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Alexander and Samuel changed places 6 times in New South Wales, Australia · Boys between 1972 and 2025, ending at #22 and #38.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Alexander and Samuel averaged 12.8 places apart, ending at #36 and #60.
- Longest-running competitions
Alexander and Samuel were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 53 years, from 1972 to 2025, ending at #22 and #38.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Scotland · Boys within 2 years — Alexander #12 in 2024, Samuel #69 in 2024.
List by list
Norway · Boys69 shared years, 1948–2025
Alexander held the stronger position in 61 of those years, Samuel in 8.
Highest recorded here: Alexander #12 in 1987, Samuel #44 in 2019.
The order changed in 2019: Samuel moved ahead. In 2018 they stood at #35 and #57; by 2019 that had become #53 and #44.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Alexander #81, Samuel #75.
Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025
Alexander held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Samuel in 33.
Highest recorded here: Alexander #31 in 2018, Samuel #33 in 2013.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Alexander #55, Samuel #76.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys53 shared years, 1972–2025
Alexander held the stronger position in 34 of those years, Samuel in 19.
Highest recorded here: Alexander #8 in 2014, Samuel #10 in 2003.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Alexander #22, Samuel #38.
New Zealand · Boys49 shared years, 1967–2023
Alexander held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Samuel in 40.
Highest recorded here: Alexander #13 in 2014, Samuel #3 in 1998.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Alexander #33, Samuel #50.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Alexander held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Samuel in 19.
Highest recorded here: Alexander #14 in 1996, Samuel #6 in 2004.
The order changed in 2015: Alexander moved ahead. In 2014 they stood at #22 and #21; by 2015 that had become #22 and #23.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Alexander #36, Samuel #60.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Alexander held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Samuel in 17.
Highest recorded here: Alexander #26 in 2014, Samuel #25 in 2005.
The order changed in 2014: Alexander moved ahead. In 2013 they stood at #48 and #39; by 2014 that had become #26 and #44.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Alexander #38, Samuel #64.
Scotland · Boys18 shared years, 2024–2024
Alexander held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Samuel in 0.
Highest recorded here: Alexander #12 in 2024, Samuel #69 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Alexander #13, Samuel #69.
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 | Samuel |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Commonly interpreted as 'defender of men' or 'protector of the people'. | Traditionally rendered as 'name of God', though also popularly interpreted as 'God has heard' — sources differ on which root is emphasised. |
| Origin | Greek | Biblical Hebrew, via Greek Samouel |
| Pronunciation | /ˌælɪɡˈzændər/ | /ˈsæmjuːəl/ |
| 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 | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | United Kingdom #11 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #38 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 65/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 70/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | high | medium |
What the data shows
- Alexander is recorded with a Greek origin, while Samuel is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew, via Greek Samouel origin.
- Alexander has 4 syllables, compared with 2 for Samuel.
- Alexander's recorded meaning differs from Samuel's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
- The available evidence gives Alexander a "high" Data Confidence level and Samuel 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
Samuel
Popularity journey
First recorded1946
First recorded at #339 among boys in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1967–2023
Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in New Zealand, in 1998 (recorded 1967–2023).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #38 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys