Alex
Meaningdefender of men · English form of Alexander
- US rank
- #232
- Syllables
- 2
- Peak
- #47 in 1995
1,515 babies were named Alex in the US in 2025. It has dropped 49 places in five years.
Found on lists
Save adds it to your list. Vote moves it up the top voted names.
US births per million girls, 1915–2025
US births per million boys, 1880–2025
Most popular states (2025)
Similar names
Popularity: U.S. Social Security Administration (babies with 5+ births per year).
Did you know?
A few things about Alex you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.
Famous Alex
Alex Ferguson
Scottish association football manager and former player (born 1941)
Choose Alex and your child shares a first name with Alex Ferguson, a Scottish association football manager and former player. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Alex, like who?” Alex Ferguson's Wikipedia article is available in 113 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.
Read about Alex Ferguson on Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)Photo: Austin Osuide, CC BY 2.0 (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons
- How commonAbout 1 in every 1,127 baby boys born in the US in 2025 was named Alex, 1,515 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Alex would very likely be the only one.
- HistoryAlex has been in use since at least 1880, the first year US birth records were kept. That's 145 years of Alexs, and counting.
- Best yearIt was far more popular in 1995, when it ranked #47. Today it's #232, so it could be due a comeback.
- Then vs nowAlex was 3.9× more common in 2000 than it is today. In 2000 it was given to about 1 in 291 baby boys; in 2025, about 1 in 1,127.
- TrendAlex has slipped 49 places over the last five years and now sits at #232. Good news if you want a familiar name that fewer kids will share.
- Where it's lovedAlex is most popular in Rhode Island, where it ranks #140, followed by Florida (#142) and California (#153). It makes the top 1,000 in almost every state.
- MeaningAlex is an English form of Alexander, which means “defender of men”. Our records link it to English and Greek roots.
About the name Alex
Alex is a boy name of English and Greek origin meaning “defender of men”. It has 4 letters and 2 syllables, starting with A and ending in “-lex”. US birth records list Alex for boys from 1880 to 2025, in 146 of those 146 years. Its best year was 1995, when it ranked #47 among boy names. In 2025 it ranked #232, with 1,515 babies.
Origin:English namesGreek names
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1910s | 7.3 | 136,240 girls |
| 1920s | 8.0 | 124,533 girls |
| 1930s | 6.1 | 164,745 girls |
| 1940s | 3.8 | 264,550 girls |
| 1950s | 4.9 | 204,082 girls |
| 1960s | 7.1 | 140,056 girls |
| 1970s | 12 | 81,833 girls |
| 1980s | 67 | 14,963 girls |
| 1990s | 193 | 5,170 girls |
| 2000s | 116 | 8,604 girls |
| 2010s | 95 | 10,579 girls |
| 2020s | 73 | 13,761 girls |
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 1,322 | 757 boys |
| 1890s | 1,269 | 788 boys |
| 1900s | 1,282 | 780 boys |
| 1910s | 1,189 | 841 boys |
| 1920s | 834 | 1,199 boys |
| 1930s | 597 | 1,674 boys |
| 1940s | 466 | 2,147 boys |
| 1950s | 404 | 2,474 boys |
| 1960s | 627 | 1,596 boys |
| 1970s | 849 | 1,178 boys |
| 1980s | 2,069 | 483 boys |
| 1990s | 3,639 | 275 boys |
| 2000s | 3,199 | 313 boys |
| 2010s | 1,729 | 578 boys |
| 2020s | 1,076 | 930 boys |
Other spellings of Alex
More English boy names
- Boy name: Oliver · olive tree
- Boy name: Henry · ruler of the home
- Unisex name: James · supplanter
- Boy name: William · resolute protector
- Boy name: Benjamin · son of the right hand
- Boy name: Jack · God is gracious
- Unisex name: Hudson · son of Hudde
- Unisex name: Julian · of the Julius family
Questions about the name Alex
What does the name Alex mean?
Alex means “defender of men” in English, as a form of Alexander.
What is the origin of the name Alex?
Alex has English, Greek roots in our records. Other English names include Oliver, Henry, James.
Is Alex a boy or girl name?
Alex is a boy name, though a few girls get it too.
How popular is the name Alex?
Alex ranked #232 for US boys in 2025, given to 1,515 babies. Its best year was 1995 (#47).