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Alexis (given name)

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Alexis
Saint Alexius of Rome
GenderUnisex
Language(s)Greek, Latin
Origin
Meaning"helper, defender"
Other names
See alsoAlexius, Alexios, Alexei, Alexander, Alexandra, Alex, Lexi

Alexis is a given name of Greek origin. It is derived from several saints venerated by the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches, including Saint Alexius of Rome. Like the name Alexander, Alexis derives from the Greek verb ἀλέξειν (aléxein; 'defender'). The ending "-is" points at its belonging to the masculine gender (according to Greek grammar); however, many women have this name. The Russian equivalent of the name is Alexey or Alexei. Many European languages, including Greek, use the female variant Alexia.

While the name is mostly male, it has been predominantly given to females in the United States since at least the 1940s, when actress Alexis Smith began appearing in films.[1] It has been among the top 50 most popular names for girls in the United States since 1990. In the 2008 book 5-Star Baby Name Advisor, author Bruce Lansky writes that the girls' name has the image of a "sexy and seductive knockout."[2] The increase in popularity of the name is sometimes attributed to the notable character Alexis Colby from the American television series Dynasty. A 1978 film, Ice Castles, featured as the main character a blind figure skater named Alexis "Lexie" Winston.

Aleksi, a Finnish variant, was the third most popular name for boys born in Finland in 2007.[3] Alessia, an Italian feminine variant, was the second most common name for girls born in Italy in 2006.[4] Alesia, a feminine variant, and Aleksio, a masculine variant, are currently popular names for boys and girls in Albania.[citation needed]

Masculine variants

Feminine variants

  • Aleja (Spanish)
  • Alesia (Albanian)
  • Aleksa (Polish)
  • Alexa (English)
  • Alexia (English), (Galician), (German), (Greek), (Spanish), (French)
  • Алекса (Aleksa, Alexa) (Russian)
  • Aléxia (Portuguese)
  • Alexina (English)
  • Alexis (English)
  • Elexis (English)
  • Lexa (English)
  • Lexia (English)
  • Lexi (English)
  • Lexie (English)
  • Lexis (English)
  • Lexus (English)
  • Lexy (English)

People

Fictional characters

  • Alexis Colby, played by Joan Collins on the 1980s prime time soap opera Dynasty
  • Alexis Kerib, in the anime series SSSS.Gridman
  • Alexis Meade, played by Rebecca Romijn on the American television series Ugly Betty
  • Alexis Castle, played by Molly Quinn on the American crime drama television series Castle
  • Alexis Leonides, a Greek writer who features in Geoffrey Trease's novels The Hills of Varna and The Crown of Violet
  • Alexis Rhodes, a main character in the anime series Yu-Gi-Oh! GX, voiced by Priscilla Everett and Emlyn Morinelli McFarland
  • Alexis Thi Dang, in the Transformers Unicron Trilogy, voiced by Tabitha St. Germain
  • Alexis Zorbas, the protagonist of Zorba the Greek
  • Alexis Rose, played by Annie Murphy on the Canadian sitcom Schitt's Creek

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Hanks, Patrick; Hardcastle, Kate; Hodges, Flavia (2006). A Dictionary of First Names. Oxford paperback reference. Oxford University Press. p. 52. ISBN 978-0-19-861060-1. OCLC 67869278. Retrieved 5 May 2019.
  2. ^ Lansky, p. 16
  3. ^ Helsingin Sanomat, October 16, 2007.Aino and Eetu top list of most popular children's names. Retrieved February 10, 2008.
  4. ^ Rosenkrantz, Linda, and Satran, Pamela Redmond (2008). Cool Names for Babies. St. Martin's Griffin. ISBN 978-0-312-37786-1, p. 21

References

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