Given name & surname
Alex
“helper and defender of mankind”
In German use, Alex is a short form of Alexandra. In Greek use, Alexandra carries the interpretation “helper and defender of mankind.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
In English use, Alex carries the interpretation “helper and defender of mankind.” In German use, Alex is a short form of Alexandra. In Greek use, Alexandra carries the interpretation “helper and defender of mankind.”
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is English.
How it developed
In English use, Alex is used as a shortened form of Alexander.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Alex through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 295,991
- 286,169 boys · 9,822 girls
- Most popular year
- 1993
- 8,064 babies
- 2025
- 1,586
- #232 for boys · #2,487 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −28%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 1,515 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 232 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 27.8% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 7,639 in 1993. It also appeared in 71 birth records for girls in 2025. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (252). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 373,467 as a first name in 2020; 4,984 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Alex’s family of names
In English usage, Alex is a diminutive of Alexander. In English usage, Alex has a feminine form in Alexa. In German usage, Alex has a conventional equivalent in the Italian form Sandra.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Alex has relatives in 17 languages. Lines run from its English roots to each of them.
Englishwhere Alex comes from · 16 names
Nicknames & forms 19
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 2
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 56
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- XanderEnglish
- ZanderEnglish
- Alexafeminine form · French, English
- Alecsee also · English, German
- Sandraalso known as · Italian, German
- Alessaalso known as · Italian, German
- Sandyalso known as · English, German
- Alekalso known as · Polish, German
Show 48 moreShow fewer
- Alexandrosequivalent
- Sandroalso known as · Italian, German
- Aleksandraequivalent
- Alexiequivalent
- Lexaalso known as · English, German
- Lexyalso known as · English, German
- Alexiosequivalent
- AlessoItalian
- OlaPolish
- AlEnglish
- Alexyequivalent
- Aleksyequivalent
- AlexiusEnglish
- Alexinafeminine form
- Alekosequivalent
- Alexsequivalent
- AleSpanish, Italian
- Oleksaequivalent
- Alekssequivalent
- Oleksandraequivalent
- Олексаequivalent
- Олександраequivalent
- Олесьequivalent
- Сашоequivalent
- Шураequivalent
- Álesequivalent
- Aleksoequivalent
- Ailigequivalent
- АлексейRussian
- Αλέκοςequivalent · Greek
- LekëAlbanian
- AluśPolish
- Александраequivalent
- Αλέξηςequivalent
- Αλέξανδροςequivalent
- Αλέξιοςequivalent
- Allickequivalent
- アレックスJapanese
- AlenjoEsperanto
- AleĉjoEsperanto
- ألكسArabic
- Ἀλέξανδροςroot · Ancient Greek
- СашаRussian
- АляRussian
- АльонаRussian
- АленаRussian
- АлексRussian
- ΑλεξGreek
See also 9
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
- Lexialso known as · German
- Alenaalso known as · German
- Alexiaalso known as · German
- Lexiealso known as · German
- Sanderalso known as · German
- Alexandralso known as · Czech
- Saschaalso known as · Dutch, German
- Aljonaalso known as · German
Show 1 moreShow fewer
People named Alex
- Alex FergusonScottish association football manager and former player (born 1941)
- Alex MorganAmerican soccer playerborn 1989
- Alex Oxlade-ChamberlainEnglish association football player (born 1993)
- Alex SongCameroonian and French footballerborn 1987
- Alex IwobiNigerian association football player (born 1996)
- Alex AlbonThai-British motorsports racing driverborn 1996
- Alex SandroBrazilian footballer (born 1991)
- Alex HaleyAmerican biographer, screenwriter, and novelist (1921–1992)
- Alex JonesAmerican far-right conspiracy theorist (born 1974)
Characters named Alex: Alex Rousseau (fictional character of the TV series Lost), Alex (A Clockwork Orange), Alex Russo (Fictional character on TV sitcom Wizards of Waverly Place, portrayed by Selena Gomez), Alex Karev (Grey's Anatomy).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
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