Alex

#2,485 for girls in 2025, 71 births · #232 for boys in 2025, 1,515 births
Given to boys 96.7% of the time

Showing
Show data for
Peak · boys
1995 · 7,424 births
Debut · boys
147 births
In top 100 · boys
33 yrs
of 146 years
Total births · boys
286,169
since 1880

Alex over time

boys

Rank among boys' names. Click any year to open it.

#1#10#100rank188019001920194019601980200020201940peak #47, 1995boys
Hover or use arrow keys to read values by year; click or press Enter to open that year.

Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.

Show data table
Yeargirlsboys
rankbirthsrankbirths
2025#2,48571#2321,515
2024#2,15088#2051,728
2023#1,965100#2031,814
2022#1,478148#1892,006
2021#1,612130#1921,969
2020#1,294171#1832,122
2019#1,460151#1652,401
2018#1,325171#1532,526
2017#1,251189#1512,606
2016#1,338177#1462,855
2015#1,287187#1343,113
2014#1,422160#1283,192
2013#1,509146#1103,559
2012#1,629132#983,870
2011#1,370168#954,041
2010#1,352173#934,442
2009#1,366174#835,174
2008#1,405169#845,400
2007#1,277192#726,275
2006#1,083234#676,670
2005#1,042229#716,488
2004#982242#636,812
2003#1,038220#626,794
2002#977226#636,807
2001#981219#626,613
2000#913239#626,748
1999#786279#586,828
1998#771279#556,954
1997#674322#556,855
1996#637352#536,915
1995#537441#477,424
1994#581394#507,240
1993#562425#527,639
1992#618366#547,351
1991#611369#636,673
1990#802250#596,951
1989#789241#606,543
1988#705270#586,408
1987#829210#606,042
1986#1,055143#645,111
1985#1,44586#803,909
1984#1,36886#933,026
1983#3,06527#1232,155
1982#2,18546#1431,964
1981#2,77432#1481,873
1980#2,94030#1561,681
1979#3,77720#1561,656
1978#4,24216#1641,468
1977#3,36622#1531,610
1976#3,00224#1721,359
1975#4,59313#1751,327
1974#2,92224#1711,385
1973#3,01522#1841,246
1972#3,54317#1961,182
1971#4,12314#1881,361
1970#3,87215#1911,403
1969#3,95813#2071,212
1968#3,45615#2001,163
1967#3,65613#2051,130
1966#5,8096#2181,023
1965#3,95211#2001,246
1964#3,51514#2181,240
1963#4,8968#2151,306
1962#3,59213#2171,267
1961#2,67321#2281,217
1960#2,98917#2261,230
1959#3,61912#2341,164
1958#3,23214#2451,019
1957#3,93010#253896
1956#4,8377#253809
1955#5,2086#263712
1954#4,2788#259743
1953#3,26912#260716
1952#4,4837#258700
1951#3,7149#254690
1950#3,6629#244749
1949#3,39310#242730
1948#3,35010#234764
1947#3,24011#228794
1946—#225706
1945—#217639
1944#3,6877#221620
1943#3,8017#222660
1942#4,1246#215681
1941—#210641
1940#3,8636#208620
1939#4,2505#204597
1938#4,3425#206601
1937#4,2555#211564
1936—#210564
1935#3,4317#207581
1934#2,56711#198623
1933#4,2185#197606
1932#4,4115#192683
1931#2,9729#182727
1930#2,42513#180760
1929#1,95318#180775
1928#4,1956#179799
1927#2,09518#169888
1926#3,04610#179805
1925#4,9735#165903
1924#5,0615#162978
1923#4,3766#161940
1922#3,6558#1551,003
1921#3,6668#1491,022
1920#2,89911#1421,069
1919#4,8145#1371,082
1918#3,5128#1311,207
1917#3,7137#1321,081
1916#3,2588#1281,094
1915#2,52611#1311,008
1914—#131789
1913—#130604
1912—#135482
1911—#129268
1910—#127256
1909—#123227
1908—#127199
1907—#127186
1906—#122176
1905—#133166
1904—#125169
1903—#135138
1902—#125154
1901—#120138
1900—#120192
1899—#122133
1898—#125149
1897—#128130
1896—#112165
1895—#117143
1894—#112152
1893—#120133
1892—#110163
1891—#109133
1890—#111147
1889—#114127
1888—#102167
1887—#104136
1886—#96161
1885—#92159
1884—#105148
1883—#108120
1882—#89172
1881—#109114
1880—#92147
First appearance
1880

In the first year the SSA published name data, Alex was already there! It came in at #92, and was given to 147 baby boys.


Quietest stretch: 1880–1881, when fewer than 150 boys a year got the name.

Where Alex is popular in 1940

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: fewer than 5 boys named Alex, so not publishedAKMaine: fewer than 5 boys named Alex, so not publishedMEVermont: fewer than 5 boys named Alex, so not publishedVTNew Hampshire: fewer than 5 boys named Alex, so not publishedNHWashington: fewer than 5 boys named Alex, so not publishedWAIdaho: fewer than 5 boys named Alex, so not publishedIDMontana: fewer than 5 boys named Alex, so not publishedMTNorth Dakota: fewer than 5 boys named Alex, so not publishedNDMinnesota: fewer than 5 boys named Alex, so not publishedMNIllinois: #201 for boys · 27 births · 1 in 2,181 boysILWisconsin: #220 for boys · 9 births · 1 in 2,792 boysWIMichigan: #195 for boys · 22 births · 1 in 2,092 boysMINew York: #162 for boys · 51 births · 1 in 1,838 boysNYMassachusetts: fewer than 5 boys named Alex, so not publishedMARhode Island: fewer than 5 boys named Alex, so not publishedRIOregon: fewer than 5 boys named Alex, so not publishedORNevada: fewer than 5 boys named Alex, so not publishedNVWyoming: fewer than 5 boys named Alex, so not publishedWYSouth Dakota: fewer than 5 boys named Alex, so not publishedSDIowa: fewer than 5 boys named Alex, so not publishedIAIndiana: #330 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 5,686 boysINOhio: #182 for boys · 27 births · 1 in 2,006 boysOHPennsylvania: #162 for boys · 42 births · 1 in 1,828 boysPANew Jersey: #138 for boys · 19 births · 1 in 1,430 boysNJConnecticut: #142 for boys · 7 births · 1 in 1,588 boysCTCalifornia: #147 for boys · 57 births · 1 in 925 boysCAUtah: fewer than 5 boys named Alex, so not publishedUTColorado: #171 for boys · 9 births · 1 in 1,091 boysCONebraska: fewer than 5 boys named Alex, so not publishedNEMissouri: #344 for boys · 6 births · 1 in 4,867 boysMOKentucky: #251 for boys · 12 births · 1 in 2,380 boysKYWest Virginia: #220 for boys · 11 births · 1 in 1,761 boysWVVirginia: #275 for boys · 10 births · 1 in 2,445 boysVAMaryland: fewer than 5 boys named Alex, so not publishedMDDelaware: fewer than 5 boys named Alex, so not publishedDEArizona: #53 for boys · 24 births · 1 in 209 boysAZNew Mexico: #72 for boys · 21 births · 1 in 284 boysNMKansas: fewer than 5 boys named Alex, so not publishedKSArkansas: #225 for boys · 11 births · 1 in 1,750 boysARTennessee: #263 for boys · 10 births · 1 in 2,791 boysTNNorth Carolina: #279 for boys · 13 births · 1 in 2,845 boysNCSouth Carolina: #182 for boys · 18 births · 1 in 1,179 boysSCDistrict of Columbia: #167 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 1,267 boysDCOklahoma: #294 for boys · 8 births · 1 in 2,664 boysOKLouisiana: #128 for boys · 34 births · 1 in 666 boysLAMississippi: #181 for boys · 18 births · 1 in 1,211 boysMSAlabama: #187 for boys · 23 births · 1 in 1,253 boysALGeorgia: #203 for boys · 20 births · 1 in 1,557 boysGAHawaii: fewer than 5 boys named Alex, so not publishedHITexas: #216 for boys · 52 births · 1 in 1,197 boysTXFlorida: #209 for boys · 11 births · 1 in 1,406 boysFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · boys
  1. Arizona#53 · 1 in 209
  2. New Mexico#72 · 1 in 284
  3. Louisiana#128 · 1 in 666
  4. New Jersey#138 · 1 in 1,430
  5. Connecticut#142 · 1 in 1,588

Best ever in a state: #17 in Alaska, 1924.

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Arizona#53241 in 209
New Mexico#72211 in 284
Louisiana#128341 in 666
New Jersey#138191 in 1,430
Connecticut#14271 in 1,588
California#147571 in 925
New York#162511 in 1,838
Pennsylvania#162421 in 1,828
District of Columbia#16751 in 1,267
Colorado#17191 in 1,091
Mississippi#181181 in 1,211
Ohio#182271 in 2,006
South Carolina#182181 in 1,179
Alabama#187231 in 1,253
Michigan#195221 in 2,092
Illinois#201271 in 2,181
Georgia#203201 in 1,557
Florida#209111 in 1,406
Texas#216521 in 1,197
West Virginia#220111 in 1,761
Wisconsin#22091 in 2,792
Arkansas#225111 in 1,750
Kentucky#251121 in 2,380
Tennessee#263101 in 2,791
Virginia#275101 in 2,445
North Carolina#279131 in 2,845
Oklahoma#29481 in 2,664
Indiana#33051 in 5,686
Missouri#34461 in 4,867
Alaska———
Delaware———
Hawaii———
Idaho———
Iowa———
Kansas———
Maine———
Maryland———
Massachusetts———
Minnesota———
Montana———
Nebraska———
Nevada———
New Hampshire———
North Dakota———
Oregon———
Rhode Island———
South Dakota———
Utah———
Vermont———
Washington———
Wyoming———

Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the boys born there that year. The SSA only publishes a name in a state when 5 or more babies of one sex got it.

See more about Alex
Momentum · boys
Falling
  • 27 spots since 2024 (#205 → #232)
  • 49 spots since 2020 (#183 → #232)
  • 98 spots since 2015 (#134 → #232)
  • Biggest jump: 30 spots in 1984 (#123 → #93)
  • Biggest drop: 27 spots in 2025 (#205 → #232)
Rise & fade · boys
115 yrs to peak
  • Debuted 1880
  • Peaked 1995 at #47 (7,424 births)
  • Births halved by 2013, 18 yrs later
Top of the charts · boys
Top 100 for 33 yrs
  • Top 10: never
  • Top 100: 33 yrs · run 1984–2012
  • Top 1,000: 146 yrs · run 1880–2025
Share of babies · boys
1 in 256
  • Highest: 1 in 256 boys born in 1995 were named Alex (0.39%)
  • Latest: 1 in 1,127 boys born in 2025 (0.09%)
Era · boys
The 1990s
  • 24.8% of all boys named Alex (70,830) were born in this decade
Show by decade
DecadeBirthsBest rankAvg rank
1880s1,451#89 (1882)#101
1890s1,448#109 (1891)#117
1900s1,745#120 (1900)#126
1910s7,871#127 (1910)#131
1920s9,182#142 (1920)#164
1930s6,306#180 (1930)#199
1940s6,855#208 (1940)#222
1950s8,198#234 (1959)#252
1960s12,034#200 (1965)#213
1970s13,997#153 (1977)#175
1980s38,712#58 (1988)#99
1990s70,830#47 (1995)#55
2000s63,781#62 (2003)#69
2010s32,605#93 (2010)#127
2020s11,154#183 (2020)#201

All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 boys in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.

Alex in 1940

girls
#3,863
6 births · 1 in 190,588 girls
boys
#208
620 births · 1 in 1,870 boys

Top girls' names in 1940

  1. #1Mary56,216
  2. #2Barbara36,736
  3. #3Patricia32,665
  4. #4Judith22,385
  5. #5Betty22,077
  6. #6Carol21,759
  7. #7Nancy19,737
  8. #8Linda18,370
  9. #9Shirley17,881
  10. #10Sandra16,153
  11. #3,863Alex6

Top boys' names in 1940

  1. #1James62,481
  2. #2Robert61,198
  3. #3John54,786
  4. #4William44,779
  5. #5Richard37,425
  6. #6Charles31,689
  7. #7David27,690
  8. #8Thomas23,991
  9. #9Donald23,115
  10. #10Ronald20,741
  11. #208Alex620
More about 1940

girls

1,143,528 girls got a published name in 1940; 1 in 190,588 of them was named Alex, which outranked 23.2% of the 5,028 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 23.1% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Alex
  1. #3,503Zelta7
  2. #3,503Zenaida7
  3. #3,503Zonnie7
  4. #3,863Alex6
  5. #3,863Adina6
  6. #3,863Adra6
  7. #3,863Adrain6
  8. #4,349Abelina5
  9. #4,349Adair5
  10. #4,349Adel5

Tied with 485 names at #3,863; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1939
Risers
  1. ↑ 2,494Scarlett#3,429 → #935
  2. ↑ 1,465Lonna#2,206 → #741
  3. ↑ 834Pam#1,797 → #963
  4. ↑ 659Jody#1,638 → #979
  5. ↑ 633Laraine#1,474 → #841
Fallers
  1. ↓ 481Fredia#996 → #1,477
  2. ↓ 430Eleanora#974 → #1,404
  3. ↓ 375Danielle#811 → #1,186
  4. ↓ 342Eloisa#930 → #1,272
  5. ↓ 298Coral#996 → #1,294

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

boys

1,159,172 boys got a published name in 1940; 1 in 1,870 of them was named Alex, which outranked 94.7% of the 3,937 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 33.5% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Alex
  1. #205Ira625
  2. #206Rudolph622
  3. #207Doyle621
  4. #208Alex620
  5. #209Willis609
  6. #210Leland608
  7. #211Laurence604
Biggest movers since 1939
Risers
  1. ↑ 565Whitney#1,458 → #893
  2. ↑ 447Gonzalo#1,297 → #850
  3. ↑ 419Weston#1,323 → #904
  4. ↑ 368Ashley#1,272 → #904
  5. ↑ 366Agustin#1,238 → #872
Fallers
  1. ↓ 886Montie#916 → #1,802
  2. ↓ 446Verlon#888 → #1,334
  3. ↓ 394Issac#857 → #1,251
  4. ↓ 392Otho#942 → #1,334
  5. ↓ 384Pearl#867 → #1,251

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

See the top 100 for 1940 →