Alex
Boy · AL-eks · Greek
Classic
Alex is a boys' name of Greek origin, meaning “defender of men”. In 2025 it ranked 201st for boys in the UK (280 babies) and 232nd for boys in the US (1,515 babies).
What does Alex mean?
Greek: short form of Alexander
“defender of men”
A short form of Alexander, from Greek alexein, 'to defend', and aner, 'man'.
- Say it
- AL-eks
More on Wiktionary.
Is Alex a girl's or a boy's name?
Alex is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 18 girls and 280 boys in the UK and 71 girls and 1,515 boys in the US.
How popular is Alex in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #201among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 280about 1 in 1,100 boys
- Five-year trend
- Fallingdown 53% in five years
- Same name in a class
- 1.3%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 280 boys in the UK were named Alex, making it the 201st most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 103rd. Its busiest year was 2008, with 1,808 boys. 18 girls were also named Alex in 2025 (1,690th for girls).
It has been given to fewer boys each year for the last 17 years. 2025 had the fewest boys named Alex since the records began in 1996.
Half of all the boys named Alex in the UK since 1996 were born between 2001 and 2013. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier boys aren't counted.
Among boys in 2025, it was 207th in England and Wales, 178th in Scotland and 159th in Northern Ireland.
In the England and Wales top 100 for boys, which the ONS has published every ten years since 1904: 1984 (#79), 1994 (#50), 2004 (#46) and 2014 (#75).
Alex in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 280 | #201 |
| 2024 | 352 | #163 |
| 2023 | 395 | #154 |
| 2022 | 476 | #131 |
| 2021 | 548 | #120 |
| 2020 | 644 | #103 |
| 2019 | 709 | #101 |
| 2018 | 817 | #90 |
| 2017 | 828 | #91 |
| 2016 | 938 | #84 |
| 2015 | 1,019 | #77 |
| 2014 | 1,044 | #74 |
| 2013 | 1,122 | #63 |
| 2012 | 1,205 | #64 |
| 2011 | 1,271 | #60 |
| 2010 | 1,523 | #55 |
| 2009 | 1,652 | #53 |
| 2008 | 1,808 | #53 |
| 2007 | 1,504 | #59 |
| 2006 | 1,390 | #61 |
| 2005 | 1,397 | #55 |
| 2004 | 1,606 | #45 |
| 2003 | 1,798 | #42 |
| 2002 | 1,799 | #44 |
| 2001 | 1,492 | #48 |
| 2000 | 1,491 | #50 |
| 1999 | 1,615 | #49 |
| 1998 | 1,671 | #52 |
| 1997 | 1,799 | #49 |
| 1996 | 1,798 | #46 |
How popular is Alex in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #232among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 1,515about 1 in 1,100 boys
- Five-year trend
- Fallingdown 28% in five years
- Same name in a class
- 1.2%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 1,515 boys in the US were named Alex, making it the 232nd most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 183rd. Its busiest year was 1993, with 7,639 boys. 71 girls were also named Alex in 2025 (2,485th for girls).
It has been given to fewer boys each year for the last 3 years. 2025 had fewer boys named Alex than any year since 1978.
Half of all the boys named Alex in the US since 1880 were born between 1981 and 2005, the years shaded on the chart below.
Alex in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,515 | #232 |
| 2024 | 1,728 | #205 |
| 2023 | 1,814 | #203 |
| 2022 | 2,006 | #189 |
| 2021 | 1,969 | #192 |
| 2020 | 2,122 | #183 |
| 2019 | 2,401 | #165 |
| 2018 | 2,526 | #153 |
| 2017 | 2,606 | #151 |
| 2016 | 2,855 | #146 |
| 2015 | 3,113 | #134 |
| 2014 | 3,192 | #128 |
| 2013 | 3,559 | #110 |
| 2012 | 3,870 | #98 |
| 2011 | 4,041 | #95 |
| 2010 | 4,442 | #93 |
| 2009 | 5,174 | #83 |
| 2008 | 5,400 | #84 |
| 2007 | 6,275 | #72 |
| 2006 | 6,670 | #67 |
| 2005 | 6,488 | #71 |
| 2004 | 6,812 | #63 |
| 2003 | 6,794 | #62 |
| 2002 | 6,807 | #63 |
| 2001 | 6,613 | #62 |
| 2000 | 6,748 | #62 |
| 1999 | 6,828 | #58 |
| 1998 | 6,954 | #55 |
| 1997 | 6,855 | #55 |
| 1996 | 6,915 | #53 |
| 1995 | 7,424 | #47 |
| 1994 | 7,240 | #50 |
| 1993 | 7,639 | #52 |
| 1992 | 7,351 | #54 |
| 1991 | 6,673 | #63 |
| 1990 | 6,951 | #59 |
| 1989 | 6,543 | #60 |
| 1988 | 6,408 | #58 |
| 1987 | 6,042 | #60 |
| 1986 | 5,111 | #64 |
| 1985 | 3,909 | #80 |
| 1984 | 3,026 | #93 |
| 1983 | 2,155 | #123 |
| 1982 | 1,964 | #143 |
| 1981 | 1,873 | #148 |
| 1980 | 1,681 | #156 |
| 1979 | 1,656 | #156 |
| 1978 | 1,468 | #164 |
| 1977 | 1,610 | #153 |
| 1976 | 1,359 | #172 |
| 1975 | 1,327 | #175 |
| 1974 | 1,385 | #171 |
| 1973 | 1,246 | #184 |
| 1972 | 1,182 | #196 |
| 1971 | 1,361 | #188 |
| 1970 | 1,403 | #191 |
| 1969 | 1,212 | #207 |
| 1968 | 1,163 | #200 |
| 1967 | 1,130 | #205 |
| 1966 | 1,023 | #218 |
| 1965 | 1,246 | #200 |
| 1964 | 1,240 | #218 |
| 1963 | 1,306 | #215 |
| 1962 | 1,267 | #217 |
| 1961 | 1,217 | #228 |
| 1960 | 1,230 | #226 |
| 1959 | 1,164 | #234 |
| 1958 | 1,019 | #245 |
| 1957 | 896 | #253 |
| 1956 | 809 | #253 |
| 1955 | 712 | #263 |
| 1954 | 743 | #259 |
| 1953 | 716 | #260 |
| 1952 | 700 | #258 |
| 1951 | 690 | #254 |
| 1950 | 749 | #244 |
| 1949 | 730 | #242 |
| 1948 | 764 | #234 |
| 1947 | 794 | #228 |
| 1946 | 706 | #225 |
| 1945 | 639 | #217 |
| 1944 | 620 | #221 |
| 1943 | 660 | #222 |
| 1942 | 681 | #215 |
| 1941 | 641 | #210 |
| 1940 | 620 | #208 |
| 1939 | 597 | #204 |
| 1938 | 601 | #206 |
| 1937 | 564 | #211 |
| 1936 | 564 | #210 |
| 1935 | 581 | #207 |
| 1934 | 623 | #198 |
| 1933 | 606 | #197 |
| 1932 | 683 | #192 |
| 1931 | 727 | #182 |
| 1930 | 760 | #180 |
| 1929 | 775 | #180 |
| 1928 | 799 | #179 |
| 1927 | 888 | #169 |
| 1926 | 805 | #179 |
| 1925 | 903 | #165 |
| 1924 | 978 | #162 |
| 1923 | 940 | #161 |
| 1922 | 1,003 | #155 |
| 1921 | 1,022 | #149 |
| 1920 | 1,069 | #142 |
| 1919 | 1,082 | #137 |
| 1918 | 1,207 | #131 |
| 1917 | 1,081 | #132 |
| 1916 | 1,094 | #128 |
| 1915 | 1,008 | #131 |
| 1914 | 789 | #131 |
| 1913 | 604 | #130 |
| 1912 | 482 | #135 |
| 1911 | 268 | #129 |
| 1910 | 256 | #127 |
| 1909 | 227 | #123 |
| 1908 | 199 | #127 |
| 1907 | 186 | #127 |
| 1906 | 176 | #122 |
| 1905 | 166 | #133 |
| 1904 | 169 | #125 |
| 1903 | 138 | #135 |
| 1902 | 154 | #125 |
| 1901 | 138 | #120 |
| 1900 | 192 | #120 |
| 1899 | 133 | #122 |
| 1898 | 149 | #125 |
| 1897 | 130 | #128 |
| 1896 | 165 | #112 |
| 1895 | 143 | #117 |
| 1894 | 152 | #112 |
| 1893 | 133 | #120 |
| 1892 | 163 | #110 |
| 1891 | 133 | #109 |
| 1890 | 147 | #111 |
| 1889 | 127 | #114 |
| 1888 | 167 | #102 |
| 1887 | 136 | #104 |
| 1886 | 161 | #96 |
| 1885 | 159 | #92 |
| 1884 | 148 | #105 |
| 1883 | 120 | #108 |
| 1882 | 172 | #89 |
| 1881 | 114 | #109 |
| 1880 | 147 | #92 |
Names like Alex
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Alexander Adam Luke Nathan Aaron Matthew Benjamin Jacob Andrew Jake Jason Joshua
Other spellings of Alex
Names related to Alex
More Greek names
Luca Theodore Sophia George Theo Lucas Sofia Sebastian Penelope Phoebe Margot Chloe Sophie Zoe Iris Maisie