Alexei
Meaningdefender · Russian form of Alexis
- US rank
- #3,240
- Syllables
- 3
- Peak
- #2,087 in 2000
36 babies were named Alexei in the US in 2025. It has dropped 354 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 boys, 1961–2025
Similar names
Popularity: U.S. Social Security Administration (babies with 5+ births per year).
Did you know?
A few things about Alexei you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.
Famous Alexei
Alexei Popyrin
Australian tennis player (born 1999)
Choose Alexei and your child shares a first name with Alexei Popyrin, an Australian tennis player. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Alexei, like who?” Alexei Popyrin's Wikipedia article is available in 21 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.
Read about Alexei Popyrin on Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)Photo: si.robi, CC BY-SA 2.0 (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons
- How commonAbout 1 in every 47,393 baby boys born in the US in 2025 was named Alexei, 36 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Alexei would very likely be the only one.
- HistoryAlexei first shows up in US birth records in 1961, the first year at least 5 babies got it. It has been in use for 64 years since.
- Best yearIts best year was 2000, when it reached #2,087.
- TrendAlexei has slipped 354 places over the last five years and now sits at #3,240. Good news if you want a familiar name that fewer kids will share.
- MeaningAlexei is a Russian form of Alexis, which means “defender”. Our records link it to Greek and Russian roots.
About the name Alexei
Alexei is a boy name of Greek and Russian origin meaning “defender”. It has 6 letters and 3 syllables, starting with A and ending in “-xei”. US birth records list Alexei for boys from 1961 to 2025, in 57 of those 65 years. Its best year was 2000, when it ranked #2,087 among boy names. In 2025 it ranked #3,240, with 36 babies.
Origin:Greek namesRussian names
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1.5 | 676,692 boys |
| 1970s | 5.0 | 198,807 boys |
| 1980s | 4.0 | 250,000 boys |
| 1990s | 11 | 93,985 boys |
| 2000s | 19 | 52,743 boys |
| 2010s | 19 | 53,419 boys |
| 2020s | 25 | 40,789 boys |
Other spellings of Alexei
More Greek boy names
- Boy name: Theodore · gift of God
- Boy name: Mateo · gift of God
- Boy name: Lucas · man from Lucania
- Unisex name: Elias · my God is Yahweh
- Boy name: Sebastian · venerable
- Boy name: Leo · lion
- Boy name: Thomas · twin
- Unisex name: Miles · possibly gracious
Questions about the name Alexei
What does the name Alexei mean?
Alexei means “defender” in Russian, as a form of Alexis.
What is the origin of the name Alexei?
Alexei has Greek, Russian roots in our records. Other Greek names include Theodore, Mateo, Lucas.
Is Alexei a boy or girl name?
Alexei is a boy name.
How popular is the name Alexei?
Alexei ranked #3,240 for US boys in 2025, given to 36 babies. Its best year was 2000 (#2,087).