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Alexis Name Meaning, Origins & History

Alexis

Pronunciation: uh-LEK-sis

Meaning Helper Origin Ancient Greek Gender Unisex
BOYS RANK
#513
TREND
29
GIRLS RANK
#554
TREND
48
Peak Years
1998, 1999, 2000
Lowest Years
1931, 1941, 1942
Energy Archetype
Powerful & Complete

Rank shows the name’s position among U.S. baby names for each gender in 2025. Trend shows how many places it rose or fell since 2024. Rank 1 is the most popular. Based on U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) data. Peak and lowest years are based on the number of girls named Alexis in the available records.

Fun Facts About the Name Alexis

  • A favorite of earlier generations: Alexis appeared in the U.S. top 100 in 2 separate runs, totaling 31 years. Its last run lasted 28 consecutive years, from 1988 through 2015.
  • More than 412 thousand babies named Alexis: U.S. records list 412,600 babies given the name Alexis from 1880 through 2025. Of these, 68,069 boys received the name Alexis - about 1 boy for every 5 girls.

What Does the Name Alexis Mean?

Alexis comes from the Greek name Ἄλεξις (Alexis), which is built on the verb ἀλέξω (alexō), meaning "to ward off, defend, help." The name is usually translated "defender" or "helper." The same verb lies behind Alexander, but Alexis is a distinct Greek name rather than a shortened form of Alexander. A closely related Greek name is Ἀλέξιος (Alexios), Latin Alexius, which has the same general sense and is the source of forms such as Russian Aleksei. In later Christian usage the two names sometimes overlap, but their core etymology is the same.

Alexis Name History & Origins

The name is attested in ancient Greece. The comic poet Alexis, active in the fourth century BC, is one of its earliest well-known bearers; Latin writers rendered the name as Alexis. In the Christian era, the related name Ἀλέξιος (Alexios), Latin Alexius, became widely known through Saint Alexius of Rome, a legendary fifth-century ascetic venerated in the Eastern Orthodox and later Western churches. That saint's name lies behind many European forms, including French Alexis and Russian Aleksei.

English Alexis can be understood either as a direct use of the Greek Ἄλεξις or as an adoption of the French and Latin Christian name. In English it has been used as a masculine name, and more recently also as a feminine name. The name also appears in literature, notably as the shepherd loved by Corydon in Virgil's Second Eclogue, but that literary use is separate from its Greek origin.

How Popular is the Name Alexis?

Alexis recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 1998. Its best rank was #3 in 1999.

U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.

Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.

Explore Name Lists Featuring Alexis

Carl appears in several baby name collections based on U.S. popularity records, naming trends, and name characteristics. Explore these lists to discover other names with similar histories, styles, or features.

Past Favorite Girl Names

Past Favorite Girl Names: Once-Popular Names

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How the Name Alexis Shapes Your Personality and Life?

Powerful and complete. You are good intellectually and require several outlets for your energies. You are not a builder but a planner, and you want others to carry out your plans. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.

You are very intuitive. You have a reservoir of inspired wisdom combined with inherited analytical ability, which could reward you through expressions of spiritual leadership, business analysis, marketing, artistic visions, and scientific research. Operating on spiritual side of your individuality can bring you to the great heights, and drop you off if you neglect your spiritual identity. You are always looking for an opportunity to investigate the unknown, to use and show your mental abilities, to find the purpose and meaning of life. You want to grow wise and to understand people and things. You need privacy to replenish your energy. You have a unique way of thinking, intuitive, reflective, absorbing.

✦ Alexis's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Alexis's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.
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