Alex
Clipping of Alexander, from Ancient Greek Ἀλέξανδρος (Aléxandros) 'he who wards off men', i.e. protector, possibly of Hittite origin.
Every Alex since 1880 — 295,991 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Alex
Alex is moderately common for boys in the United States, ranked #232 in 2025 with 1,515 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.
Since 1880, 295,991 American babies have been named Alex. Its peak came in 1993, when 8,064 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 1990s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Alex stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Alex year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 71 | #2,487 | 1,515 | #232 |
| 2024 | 88 | #2,151 | 1,728 | #205 |
| 2023 | 100 | #1,966 | 1,814 | #203 |
| 2022 | 148 | #1,478 | 2,006 | #190 |
| 2021 | 130 | #1,613 | 1,969 | #192 |
| 2020 | 171 | #1,294 | 2,122 | #183 |
| 2019 | 151 | #1,460 | 2,401 | #165 |
| 2018 | 171 | #1,325 | 2,526 | #153 |
| 2017 | 189 | #1,251 | 2,606 | #151 |
| 2016 | 177 | #1,338 | 2,855 | #146 |
| 2015 | 187 | #1,287 | 3,113 | #134 |
| 2014 | 160 | #1,422 | 3,192 | #128 |
| 2013 | 146 | #1,511 | 3,559 | #110 |
| 2012 | 132 | #1,629 | 3,870 | #98 |
| 2011 | 168 | #1,370 | 4,041 | #95 |
| 2010 | 173 | #1,352 | 4,442 | #93 |
| 2009 | 174 | #1,367 | 5,174 | #83 |
| 2008 | 169 | #1,406 | 5,400 | #84 |
| 2007 | 192 | #1,277 | 6,275 | #72 |
| 2006 | 234 | #1,083 | 6,670 | #67 |
| 2005 | 229 | #1,044 | 6,488 | #71 |
| 2004 | 242 | #982 | 6,812 | #63 |
| 2003 | 220 | #1,039 | 6,794 | #62 |
| 2002 | 226 | #978 | 6,807 | #63 |
| 2001 | 219 | #981 | 6,613 | #62 |
| 2000 | 239 | #913 | 6,748 | #62 |
| 1995 | 441 | #537 | 7,424 | #47 |
| 1990 | 250 | #802 | 6,951 | #59 |
| 1985 | 86 | #1,445 | 3,909 | #80 |
| 1980 | 30 | #2,941 | 1,681 | #156 |
| 1975 | 13 | #4,598 | 1,327 | #175 |
| 1970 | 15 | #3,874 | 1,403 | #191 |
| 1965 | 11 | #3,956 | 1,246 | #200 |
| 1960 | 17 | #2,989 | 1,230 | #226 |
| 1955 | 6 | #5,218 | 712 | #263 |
| 1950 | 9 | #3,669 | 749 | #244 |
| 1945 | — | — | 639 | #217 |
| 1940 | 6 | #3,872 | 620 | #208 |
| 1935 | 7 | #3,436 | 581 | #207 |
| 1930 | 13 | #2,426 | 760 | #180 |
| 1925 | 5 | #4,985 | 903 | #165 |
| 1920 | 11 | #2,902 | 1,069 | #142 |
| 1915 | 11 | #2,532 | 1,008 | #131 |
| 1910 | — | — | 256 | #127 |
| 1905 | — | — | 166 | #133 |
| 1900 | — | — | 192 | #120 |
| 1895 | — | — | 143 | #117 |
| 1890 | — | — | 147 | #111 |
| 1885 | — | — | 159 | #92 |
| 1880 | — | — | 147 | #92 |
Famous people named Alex
- Alex Ferguson Coach · b. 1941
- Alex Jones Presenter · b. 1974
- Alex Haley Writer · 1921–1992
- Alex North Composer · 1910–1991
- Alex Zanardi Racing driver · b. 1966
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Alex mean?
Clipping of Alexander, from Ancient Greek Ἀλέξανδρος (Aléxandros) 'he who wards off men', i.e. protector, possibly of Hittite origin.
How popular is the name Alex in 2025?
Alex ranked #232 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 1,515 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Alex?
295,991 babies have been named Alex in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Alex most popular?
Alex peaked in 1993, when 8,064 newborns received the name.
Is Alex a boy or girl name?
Alex is overwhelmingly a boy's name — 97% of babies with the name.
Is the name Alex rising or falling?
Alex is declining — less popular now than a decade ago.
Who are famous people named Alex?
Well-known people named Alex include Alex Ferguson (coach), Alex Jones (presenter), Alex Haley (writer).