Alex
Boy nameAlex has been given to 295,991 babies in the U.S. since 1880. It peaked in 1993 and currently ranks #232 for boys (2025).
Meaning & origin /ˈæl.ɪks/
Clipping of Alexander, from Ancient Greek Ἀλέξανδρος (Aléxandros) 'he who wards off men', i.e. protector, possibly of Hittite origin. Also from Alexius, from the same Ancient Greek first element, "helping, defending". These two origins of Alex are indistinguishable in most languages. The female name has the same root, a clipping of Alexandra or the female name Alexis, in some cases also a spelling variant of Alix.
Origin: Ancient Greek
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Popularity over time births per year, 1880–2025
Total babies
295,991
Peak year
1993 (8,064 babies)
Rank in 2025
#232 for boys
First recorded
1880
10-year trend
▼ -52%
Gender split
3% girls / 97% boys
Famous people named Alex
Alex Ferguson
Scottish association football manager and player
Alex Morgan
American soccer player
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
English association football player (born 1993)
Alex Iwobi
Nigerian association football player (born 1996)
Notability data from Wikidata (CC0).
Names with a similar vibe
Same primary gender, peaked around the same years, and roughly as common as Alex.
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