Alex
Say it: AL-ex/ˈæl.ɪks/
Boy and boyMeans defender4 letters2 syllables
#37
in Ireland (2025)
#39 with spellings combined
128
babies in 2025
#8
best rank (2009)
8,901
babies since 1972
Down 26
10-year rank change
Alex through the years
Compare with another name →boysgirls
Show the numbers
| Year | Babies (boys) | Rank | Babies (girls) | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 128 | #39 | 13 | #308 |
| 2024 | 155 | #36 | 7 | #494 |
| 2023 | 175 | #28 | 12 | #313 |
| 2022 | 216 | #25 | 15 | #288 |
| 2021 | 253 | #21 | 24 | #201 |
| 2020 | 256 | #21 | 14 | #292 |
| 2019 | 302 | #17 | 18 | #261 |
| 2018 | 292 | #17 | 17 | #266 |
| 2017 | 347 | #12 | 17 | #272 |
| 2016 | 320 | #17 | 26 | #195 |
| 2015 | 361 | #13 | 21 | #244 |
| 2014 | 383 | #12 | 18 | #274 |
| 2013 | 406 | #12 | 24 | #227 |
| 2012 | 392 | #18 | 17 | #296 |
| 2011 | 492 | #10 | 40 | #150 |
| 2010 | 551 | #8 | 38 | #164 |
| 2009 | 503 | #8 | 50 | #130 |
| 2008 | 501 | #10 | 46 | #134 |
| 2007 | 401 | #20 | 63 | #96 |
| 2006 | 367 | #23 | 73 | #82 |
| 2005 | 336 | #24 | 49 | #112 |
| 2004 | 322 | #26 | 58 | #93 |
| 2003 | 268 | #29 | 29 | #150 |
| 2002 | 193 | #35 | 27 | #153 |
| 2001 | 160 | #45 | 39 | #118 |
| 2000 | 150 | #48 | 26 | #151 |
| 1999 | 112 | #57 | 19 | #185 |
| 1998 | 93 | #59 | 10 | #252 |
| 1997 | 70 | #84 | 13 | #275 |
| 1996 | 79 | #82 | 6 | #393 |
| 1995 | 55 | #98 | - | - |
| 1994 | 48 | #108 | 10 | #297 |
| 1993 | 31 | #127 | 7 | #356 |
| 1992 | 30 | #136 | 3 | #522 |
| 1991 | 23 | #148 | - | - |
| 1990 | 16 | #170 | 4 | #446 |
| 1989 | 9 | #199 | - | - |
| 1988 | 14 | #171 | - | - |
| 1987 | 11 | #190 | - | - |
| 1986 | 5 | #256 | - | - |
| 1985 | 5 | #250 | - | - |
| 1984 | 10 | #197 | - | - |
| 1983 | 10 | #202 | - | - |
| 1982 | 6 | #248 | - | - |
| 1981 | 10 | #206 | - | - |
| 1980 | 4 | #288 | - | - |
| 1979 | 4 | #292 | - | - |
| 1978 | 5 | #255 | - | - |
| 1976 | 6 | #241 | - | - |
| 1975 | 3 | #321 | - | - |
| 1974 | 3 | #321 | - | - |
| 1973 | 5 | #268 | - | - |
| 1972 | 4 | #279 | - | - |
Source: CSO, Irish Babies' Names (VSA50, VSA60), CC BY 4.0.
★ What does Alex mean?
Defender
Greek, a short form of Alexander or Alexandra, from alexein (to defend).
Say it right
ALex
The story of Alex
Alex is a short form of Alexander, from the Greek Alexandros, often explained as “defender of men”. It can also be short for Alexius, or for the girls’ names Alexandra and Alexis. All of them share a Greek root meaning “to defend” or “to protect”, and today Alex is often given as a full name in its own right.
Alex first appears in the CSO records for boys in 1972. It rose through the 1990s and 2000s and reached number 8 in 2009, while the most boys got the name the following year, 551 of them. It has fallen back since. In 2025 it was number 37 in the CSO’s table. In Northern Ireland its best rank for boys was 31st, in 2009.
It is also a real girls’ name in Ireland, though far less common. Girls called Alex peaked in 2006 at 73 babies, and 13 girls were given the name in 2025. The CSO counts boys and girls separately.
Say it differently where you're from, or spotted something wrong? Tell us.
Sources
- Wiktionary: Alex (English proper noun)
- Wikipedia: Alex
- CSO VSA50, Boys Names in Ireland with 3 or More Occurrences
- CSO VSA60, Girls Names in Ireland with 3 or More Occurrences
- NISRA, Baby Names in Northern Ireland, full name list 1997-2025
At a glance
Similar names
Sibling ideas
Spellings counted here
| Spelling | 2025 | All years |
|---|---|---|
| Alex | 128 | 8,901 |
In Northern Ireland
#159 in 2025 with 14 babies. Best rank #31 (2009); 1,343 babies since 1997.
Source: NISRA, Open Government Licence.
Alex is also given to girls: 853 since 1990, 13 in 2025.