Girl · #1,197 in 2026

Alexa

Alexa is a female form of Alex. It is variously a given name in its own right or a short form of Alexandra, both of which come from the Greek name Alexandros. It can be broken down into alexo meaning "to defend" and ander meaning "man", making Alexa mean "defender" and Alexandra "defender of man". The similarly-spelled name Aleksa is a South Slavic masculine name.

Current Rank
#1,197
Peak Rank
#32 (2006)
Total Babies
132K
5-Yr Trend
-83%
1916
First Year
2026
Last Year
2006
Peak Year
#32
Peak Rank
132K
Total Count
98
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Alexa

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Alexa is a female form of Alex. It is variously a given name in its own right or a short form of Alexandra, both of which come from the Greek name Alexandros. It can be broken down into alexo meaning "to defend" and ander meaning "man", making Alexa mean "defender" and Alexandra "defender of man". The similarly-spelled name Aleksa is a South Slavic masculine name.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

The Story of Alexa

Alexa first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1916, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2006, when 6,117 Alexas were born — ranking #39 that year. As of 2026, Alexa ranks #1,197 for baby girls with 199 births, falling sharply (-83%). In total, more than 132K Alexas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
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Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Names that sound like Alexa

Phonetically similar names — useful when Alexa is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Alexa

What does the name Alexa mean?
Alexa is a female form of Alex. It is variously a given name in its own right or a short form of Alexandra, both of which come from the Greek name Alexandros. It can be broken down into alexo meaning "to defend" and ander meaning "man", making Alexa mean "defender" and Alexandra "defender of man". The similarly-spelled name Aleksa is a South Slavic masculine name.
How popular is Alexa in 2026?
In 2026, Alexa ranks #1,197 among girls' names in the U.S., with 199 babies given the name that year.
When was Alexa most popular?
Alexa reached its peak popularity in 2006, ranking #32 that year with 6,117 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Alexa most popular?
Alexa has historically been most popular in California, Nevada, Texas. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Alexa.
Is Alexa a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Alexa is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.
What names go well with Alexa?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Alexa include Theresa, Pauline, Nova. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

Similar Names

👧
Theresa
Peak #32
👧
Pauline
Peak #32
👧
Nova
Peak #32
👧
Stacy
Peak #32
👧
Whitney
Peak #32
👧
Ada
Peak #33
👧
Lillie
Peak #33
👧
Eva
Peak #31

About the name Alexa

Alexa is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1916 and has accumulated 132K births in the dataset. Alexa's peak popularity came in 2006 when it ranked #32. Use the chart and map above to compare Alexa's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

  • Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
  • Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
  • Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
  • Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
  • Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.