Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “Alex” come from?

Alex is a shortened form of Alexander, from Latin Alexander, from Ancient Greek Ἀλέξανδρος (Alexandros), a name composed of ἀνδρός (andros), meaning "of a man," and a root meaning "to ward off."

Ancestry of “Alex”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishAlexandria—
2LatinAlexandrea—
3Ancient GreekἈλεξάνδρεια—
4Ancient GreekἈλέξανδροςAlexander
5Ancient Greekἀλέξωto keep off, turn aside; to guard, protect,...
6Ancient Greekἀνδρόςgenitive singular of ἀνήρ; man; of man
7Ancient Greekἀνήρman; husband; human being, as opposed to a god
8Proto-Hellenic*anḗr—

Words derived from “Alex”

  • Alexa
  • Lexa
Every word from Proto-Hellenic *anḗr →