Alexis
Alexis was the 554th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 547 babies. Its best year was 1999, when it ranked 3rd; the most babies were born in 1998 (19,778). Over the last ten years it has moved down 469 places. More babies were named Alexis in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Meaning defender, helper · Greek
Say it uh-LEK-sis /əˈlɛksɪs/
- Rank in 2025
- #554 girls, down 243 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 547girls
- Girls and boys
- 54% girls, 46% boys2021–2025
- Peak year
- 199819,778 babies
- Total since 1880
- 412,632babies recorded
What does the name Alexis mean?
Alexis is a Greek name, Alexis or Alexios, "defender, helper", from alexein, "to defend". DMNES lists a 5th-century Roman saint and many Byzantine emperors of the name. Wiktionary notes that its use for girls began in the 1940s; it became very popular for girls in the US in the 1980s and 1990s, while remaining in use for boys.
ἀλέξειν (Ancient Greek, “to defend, help”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Alexia, Alessia, Alexa, Alexander.
See also: Greek names, names that mean protector.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Alexis', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources (ed. S. L. Uckelman), Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Alexis', DMNES, Durham University
Nicknames for Alexis
The usual nicknames for Alexis are Lexi, Alex and Lex. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 girls named Alexis in the last five years, 83 were named Lexi, against 6 twenty years earlier.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Girls, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lexi · also for Alexandra, Alexandria, Alexa | Modern | #628 | 3,059 |
| Alex · also for Alexander, Alejandro, Alexandra | Traditional | #2,487 | 537 |
| Lex · also for Alexander, Alexa, Alexia | Modern | — | 5 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are girls given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Alexiss go by each one.
Alexis popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Rank (boys) | Babies (girls) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #554 | #513 | 547 | 584 |
| 2020 | #311 | #481 | 1,033 | 616 |
| 2010 | #16 | #223 | 8,279 | 1,621 |
| 2000 | #6 | #144 | 17,631 | 2,715 |
| 1990 | #66 | #336 | 5,257 | 738 |
| 1980 | #205 | #441 | 1,269 | 352 |
| 1970 | #536 | #737 | 353 | 124 |
| 1960 | #789 | #940 | 168 | 65 |
| 1950 | #543 | #1,747 | 230 | 18 |
| 1940 | — | #2,878 | — | 7 |
| 1930 | — | #3,028 | — | 8 |
| 1920 | — | #1,821 | — | 19 |
| 1910 | — | — | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
How popular is Alexis, counting every spelling?
Alexis is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #544 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #554 for Alexis on its own. Together these spellings went to 552 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alexis | 547 | #554 | 3,673 |
| Alexys | 5 | #15,045 | 36 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Alexis?
547 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Alexis (0.15 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Alexis born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 15 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Alexis.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Alexis?
About 338,200 people born in the US named Alexis are alive today, with a median age of 26; half are between 20 and 31. That makes Alexis mostly worn by children and young adults.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Alexis by state
How common Alexis was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Nevada (1.9×), Kentucky (1.9×), Arizona (1.6×), Mississippi (1.6×), Kansas (1.5×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in West Virginia, Louisiana, Arkansas.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Alexis: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Alexis, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Alexis · Sibling names for Alexis
Questions about the name Alexis
What does Alexis mean?
Alexis means “defender, helper” (Greek origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Alexis?
Alexis was the 554th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 547 babies. Its best year was 1999, when it ranked 3rd; the most babies were born in 1998 (19,778). Over the last ten years it has moved down 469 places. More babies were named Alexis in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Is Alexis a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, 54% girls, 46% boys given the name Alexis in the US.
Where is Alexis most popular?
In 2021–2025, Alexis was most common in North Dakota (1.37 per 1,000 girls), followed by Nevada and Kentucky.