US Popularity:4074
Origin:Greek
Meaning:Defender of mankind; Keep off, turn aside; Protect, help
Don’t worry, you can give baby the name Lex without dooming them to a life as a supervillain. While the name might be best associated with Lex Luther, Superman’s nemesis, it is also an ancient name with a powerful meaning. Lex is Greek in origin and is originally a diminutive of Alexander or Alexandra, which means “defender of mankind.” Many also link Lex to the Greek name Alexius meaning to “keep off” or “turn aside” as well as to “protect” and “help.” These days, Lex is a given name in its own right. It is a short and quippy name that not many on the playground will also have.

Lex Name Popularity Data

The Bump Ranking

Overall:Lex is currently #1945 on The Bump
Boy:Lex is currently #1365 on The Bump Boy Names
Girl:Lex is currently #1078 on The Bump Girl Names

U.S. Births

Overall:Lex is currently #4074 in U.S. births
Boy:Lex is currently #4244 in U.S. births
Girl:Lex is currently #26801 in U.S. births

Yearly Ranking Change:

Year:
2020
Gender:
Girl
#26815
in 2020
+ 1613
from 2016
In comparison to the previous year's data
Sources
  • Behind the Name, Lex, February 2019

  • Behind the Name, Alexander, April 2022

  • 100,000+ Baby Names by Bruce Lansky, pg. 460

  • 100,000+ Baby Names by Bruce Lansky, pg. 332

  • Name Doctor, Lex

  • Name Doctor, Alexius

Learn how we keep our content accurate and up-to-date by reading our medical review and editorial process.
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