Alfred vs Edward
Alfred and Edwardcompared 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 2025, Alfred was ranked #26 and Edward #189 among boys in Norway.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Alfred was ranked #81 and Edward #31 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Alfred was ranked #286 and Edward #125 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2023, Alfred was ranked #272 and Edward #145 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Alfred was ranked #278 and Edward #181 among boys in Scotland.
Alfred and Edward over time
Alfred and Edward appear together in 4 published lists, across 155 years of shared records. Edward held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Alfred in 1.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 2 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 Edward changed places 20 times in Norway · Boys between 1950 and 2025, ending at #26 and #189.
- Longest-running competitions
Alfred and Edward were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 68 years, from 1950 to 2025, ending at #26 and #189.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Republic of Ireland · Boys within 2 years — Alfred #134 in 1964, Edward #17 in 1965.
List by list
Norway · Boys68 shared years, 1950–2025
Alfred held the stronger position in 53 of those years, Edward in 15.
Highest recorded here: Alfred #18 in 2023, Edward #168 in 2012.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Alfred #26, Edward #189.
Republic of Ireland · Boys45 shared years, 1964–2025
Alfred held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Edward in 45.
Highest recorded here: Alfred #134 in 1964, Edward #17 in 1965.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Alfred #286, Edward #125.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Alfred held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Edward in 29.
Highest recorded here: Alfred #76 in 2023, Edward #23 in 2016.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Alfred #81, Edward #31.
Northern Ireland · Boys13 shared years, 2008–2023
Alfred held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Edward in 13.
Highest recorded here: Alfred #262 in 2009, Edward #107 in 2019.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Alfred #272, Edward #145.
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 | Edward |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #26 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #75 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Alfred and Edward both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO.
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
Edward
Popularity journey
First recorded1950
First recorded at #324 among boys in Norway in 1950 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #17 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1965 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #75 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys