Alex

Alex is a shortened form of the Greek name Alexandros, composed of the elements alexein, meaning to defend or protect, and aner (genitive andros), meaning man. The name rose to prominence through Alexander the Great, the Macedonian king whose fourth-century BCE conquests spread Greek culture across a vast swath of the ancient world. Alex functions both as an independent given name and as a nickname for Alexander, Alexandra, and Alexis, and is used across many languages and cultures with little alteration. Its brevity and cross-gender versatility have made it one of the most widely used short-form names in the modern Western world.