Alfred vs Cole
Alfred and Colecompared 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, Alfred was ranked #278 and Cole #66 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Alfred was ranked #81 and Cole #169 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Alfred was ranked #286 and Cole #185 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2023, Alfred was ranked #272 and Cole #272 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Alfred and Cole over time
Alfred and Cole appear together in 3 published lists, across 65 years of shared records. Cole held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Alfred in 1.
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.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 of the lists they share.
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
Alfred and Cole changed places 4 times in England and Wales · Boys between 1996 and 2024, ending at #81 and #169.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Republic of Ireland · Boys within 2 years — Alfred #271 in 2020, Cole #132 in 2020.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Alfred held the stronger position in 22 of those years, Cole in 7.
Highest recorded here: Alfred #76 in 2023, Cole #125 in 2010.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Alfred #81, Cole #169.
Republic of Ireland · Boys23 shared years, 1989–2025
Alfred held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Cole in 20.
Highest recorded here: Alfred #271 in 2020, Cole #132 in 2020.
The order changed in 2001: Cole moved ahead. In 2000 they stood at #278 and #307; by 2001 that had become #317 and #317.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Alfred #286, Cole #185.
Northern Ireland · Boys13 shared years, 2008–2023
Alfred held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Cole in 12.
Highest recorded here: Alfred #262 in 2009, Cole #98 in 2017.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Alfred #272, Cole #272.
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 | Alfred | Cole |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #26 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #185 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Alfred and Cole both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
How each name got here
Alfred
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #127 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1945–2025
Highest recorded position: #18 among boys in Norway, in 2023 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #26 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys
Cole
Popularity journey
First recorded1989
First recorded at #307 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1989 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1998–2009
Highest recorded position: #62 among boys in New Zealand, in 2003 (recorded 1998–2009).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #185 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys