Alex

See also: Alex.

English

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation, US) IPA^(key): /ˈæ.lɪks/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ælɪks

Etymology 1

Clipping of Alexander, from Ancient Greek Ἀλέξανδρος (Aléxandros) 'he who wards off men', i.e. protector, possibly of Hittite origin. Also from Alexius, from the same Ancient Greek first element, "helping, defending". These two origins of Alex are indistinguishable in most languages. The female name has the same root, a clipping of Alexandra or the female name Alexis, in some cases also a spelling variant of Alix.

Proper noun

Alex (plural Alexes)

1. A unisex given name from Ancient Greek.
   • 2006, Kate Atkinson, One Good Turn, Black Swan, published 2007, →ISBN, page 81:

     Martin was pretty dull as names went but 'Alex Blake' had a certain dash to it. His publishers hadn't considered Martin's own name to be 'punchy' enough. The pseudonym Alex Blake was chosen after much deliberation, most of which excluded Martin. 'A strong, no-nonsense sort of name', his editor said, 'to compensate'. For what, she didn't say.

   • 2008, Philip Hensher, The Northern Clemency, HarperCollins, →ISBN, page 588:

     'I had a Christmas card from someone calling herself Alex the year before last,' Daniel said. 'I couldn't think who it was.'
     'Oh, yes, she's changed again,' Alice said. 'I never got used to Alexandra, either. It never occurred to me that Sandra was short for Alexandra - anyway, she's Sandra on her birth certificate.'

   • 2020 August 25, Sara Ashley O'Brien and Rachel Metz, “Palantir files paperwork to go public and reveals it has never turned a profit”, in CNN Business‎^[1]:

     CEO and cofounder Alex Karp distanced Palantir from other Silicon Valley technology companies in a letter included in the filing, writing that “we seem to share fewer and fewer of the technology sector’s values and commitments.”

Derived terms

• Alexa
• Alex Hamilton
• alexkhomyakovite

Translations

male given name — see Alexius

Etymology 2

Clipping of Alexandria.

Proper noun

Alex

1. Nickname for Alexandria: a major city in Alexandria Governorate, Egypt.

Anagrams

• Axel, Lexa, axel, axle

Danish

Proper noun

Alex

1. a male given name, equivalent to English Alex

Dutch

Etymology

Short form of Alexander.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈaːlɛks/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: Alex

Proper noun

Alex m

1. a male given name

References

• J. van der Schaar, “Woordenboek van voornamen”, Utrecht, Antwerpen 1964, Aula-boeken 176, Uitgeverij Het Spectrum

Finnish

Etymology

Probably from Swedish Alex and/or English Alex.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɑleks/, [ˈɑ̝le̞ks̠]
• Rhymes: -ɑleks
• Syllabification^(key): A‧lex
• Hyphenation^(key): A‧lex

Proper noun

Alex

1. a male given name of rare usage, variant of Aleksi

Declension

Inflection of Alex (Kotus type 5/risti, no gradation)
nominative		Alex	Alexit
genitive		Alexin	Alexien
partitive		Alexia	Alexeja
illative		Alexiin	Alexeihin
		singular	plural
nominative		Alex	Alexit
accusative	nom.	Alex	Alexit
	gen.	Alexin
genitive		Alexin	Alexien
partitive		Alexia	Alexeja
inessive		Alexissa	Alexeissa
elative		Alexista	Alexeista
illative		Alexiin	Alexeihin
adessive		Alexilla	Alexeilla
ablative		Alexilta	Alexeilta
allative		Alexille	Alexeille
essive		Alexina	Alexeina
translative		Alexiksi	Alexeiksi
abessive		Alexitta	Alexeitta
instructive		—	Alexein
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of Alex (Kotus type 5/risti, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative Alexini Alexini accusative nom. Alexini Alexini gen. Alexini genitive Alexini Alexieni partitive Alexiani Alexejani inessive Alexissani Alexeissani elative Alexistani Alexeistani illative Alexiini Alexeihini adessive Alexillani Alexeillani ablative Alexiltani Alexeiltani allative Alexilleni Alexeilleni essive Alexinani Alexeinani translative Alexikseni Alexeikseni abessive Alexittani Alexeittani instructive — — comitative — Alexeineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative Alexisi Alexisi accusative nom. Alexisi Alexisi gen. Alexisi genitive Alexisi Alexiesi partitive Alexiasi Alexejasi inessive Alexissasi Alexeissasi elative Alexistasi Alexeistasi illative Alexiisi Alexeihisi adessive Alexillasi Alexeillasi ablative Alexiltasi Alexeiltasi allative Alexillesi Alexeillesi essive Alexinasi Alexeinasi translative Alexiksesi Alexeiksesi abessive Alexittasi Alexeittasi instructive — — comitative — Alexeinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative Aleximme Aleximme accusative nom. Aleximme Aleximme gen. Aleximme genitive Aleximme Alexiemme partitive Alexiamme Alexejamme inessive Alexissamme Alexeissamme elative Alexistamme Alexeistamme illative Alexiimme Alexeihimme adessive Alexillamme Alexeillamme ablative Alexiltamme Alexeiltamme allative Alexillemme Alexeillemme essive Alexinamme Alexeinamme translative Alexiksemme Alexeiksemme abessive Alexittamme Alexeittamme instructive — — comitative — Alexeinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative Alexinne Alexinne accusative nom. Alexinne Alexinne gen. Alexinne genitive Alexinne Alexienne partitive Alexianne Alexejanne inessive Alexissanne Alexeissanne elative Alexistanne Alexeistanne illative Alexiinne Alexeihinne adessive Alexillanne Alexeillanne ablative Alexiltanne Alexeiltanne allative Alexillenne Alexeillenne essive Alexinanne Alexeinanne translative Alexiksenne Alexeiksenne abessive Alexittanne Alexeittanne instructive — — comitative — Alexeinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative Alexinsa Alexinsa accusative nom. Alexinsa Alexinsa gen. Alexinsa genitive Alexinsa Alexiensa partitive Alexiaan Alexiansa Alexejaan Alexejansa inessive Alexissaan Alexissansa Alexeissaan Alexeissansa elative Alexistaan Alexistansa Alexeistaan Alexeistansa illative Alexiinsa Alexeihinsa adessive Alexillaan Alexillansa Alexeillaan Alexeillansa ablative Alexiltaan Alexiltansa Alexeiltaan Alexeiltansa allative Alexilleen Alexillensa Alexeilleen Alexeillensa essive Alexinaan Alexinansa Alexeinaan Alexeinansa translative Alexikseen Alexiksensa Alexeikseen Alexeiksensa abessive Alexittaan Alexittansa Alexeittaan Alexeittansa instructive — — comitative — Alexeineen Alexeinensa

Statistics

• Alex is the 139^th most common male given name in Finland, belonging to 4,588 male individuals (and as a middle name to 1,923 more), and also is the 1239^th (tied with 6 other names) most common female given name in Finland, belonging to 109 female individuals (and as a middle name to 42 more), according to August 2025 data from the Digital and Population Data Services Agency of Finland.

French

Etymology

Short form of Alexandre and Alexis or Alexandra, ultimately from Ancient Greek.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /a.lɛks/

Proper noun

Alex m or f

1. a male or female given name, equivalent to English Alex

Anagrams

• Axel

German

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈalɛks/ (most regions)
• IPA^(key): /ˈaːlɛks/ (predominant in northern Germany)

  • Audio (Germany (Berlin)):

    (file)

Proper noun

Alex m (proper noun, strong, genitive Alex')

1. a male given name, equivalent to English Alex

Hungarian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈɒlɛks]
• Hyphenation: Alex
• Rhymes: -ɛks

Proper noun

Alex

1. a male given name, equivalent to English Alex

Declension

Inflection (stem in -e-, front unrounded harmony)

	singular	plural
nominative	Alex	Alexek
accusative	Alexet	Alexeket
dative	Alexnek	Alexeknek
instrumental	Alexszel	Alexekkel
causal-final	Alexért	Alexekért
translative	Alexszé	Alexekké
terminative	Alexig	Alexekig
essive-formal	Alexként	Alexekként
essive-modal	—	—
inessive	Alexben	Alexekben
superessive	Alexen	Alexeken
adessive	Alexnél	Alexeknél
illative	Alexbe	Alexekbe
sublative	Alexre	Alexekre
allative	Alexhez	Alexekhez
elative	Alexből	Alexekből
delative	Alexről	Alexekről
ablative	Alextől	Alexektől
non-attributive possessive – singular	Alexé	Alexeké
non-attributive possessive – plural	Alexéi	Alexekéi

Possessive forms of Alex

possessor	single possession	multiple possessions
1st person sing.	Alexem	Alexeim
2nd person sing.	Alexed	Alexeid
3rd person sing.	Alexe	Alexei
1st person plural	Alexünk	Alexeink
2nd person plural	Alexetek	Alexeitek
3rd person plural	Alexük	Alexeik

Icelandic

Proper noun

Alex m (proper noun, genitive singular Alex)

1. a male given name, equivalent to English Alex

Declension

Declension of Alex (sg-only masculine)

indefinite singular
nominative	Alex
accusative	Alex
dative	Alex
genitive	Alex

Swedish

Proper noun

Alex c (genitive Alex)

1. a male given name, equivalent to English Alex

Anagrams

• Axel, axel