Alex peaked in 1993 at rank 64 and has slid to 205 in 2024. Over 284,000 American boys have been given Alex as their full given name, not counting the much larger group of Alexanders, Alejandros, and Alexis who use Alex as a nickname. The chart line tracks the same gentle 1990s descent visible across the broader cohort of millennial-bracket favourites.
The Greek root through Alexander
Alex is a short form of Alexander (and its variants Alexandra for girls), descending from Greek Alexandros, combining alexein (to defend) and aner (man), with the standard gloss "defender of men." The original Macedonian name was carried into world history by Alexander the Great (356-323 BC). The use of Alex as an independent legal first name became common in English-speaking countries through the 20th century.
Notable bearers using Alex as a full name or stage name include actor Alex Pettyfer (born 1990), comedian Alex Borstein, and various international athletes. The standalone use of Alex tends to read as more casual or contemporary than Alexander, which is part of why parents specifically choose one over the other.
The full-name versus nickname question
Alex sits in the same nickname-as-full-name category as Max, Charlie, and Sam. Parents using Alex as the full legal name are typically signaling a casual, modern register; parents using Alexander and calling the child Alex daily are preserving formal-name flexibility for adult professional contexts. The two populations produce the same daily name but make different long-term calculations.
The unisex coding is significant. Alex charts on both the boys' and girls' SSA lists. The girls' use comes through Alexandra, Alexa, and Alexis, all of which can shorten to Alex. Parents picking Alex for a son in 2025 often consider the unisex coding, though the boys' use still dominates.
The counter-reading
The honest concern with Alex as the legal name is the same flexibility-loss issue that affects Max. A 50-year-old executive named Alex may have spent decades fielding the "is that short for Alexander?" question. Parents wanting more long-term flexibility often choose Alexander as the legal name. The four-letter boy names list places Alex in context.