Alex and Friends

In this country, more recognizable with the Alistair spelling.

To Americans, a quintessential British name, introduced to the U.S. public by suave journalist/PBS Masterpiece Theater host Alastair Cook. Sometimes used in the U.S. by parents with Scottish heritage.

Commonly heard as a nickname for Alejandro, but a rare sight on the birth certificate. Ale has only made the US charts for boys twice, once in 2005 and again in 2018.

Although it's rarely given in its own right, Ale is a very common nickname for Latinate variations of Alexandra, including Alejandra and Alessandra.

Alec, though an old nickname for Alexander, is much fresher sounding than Alex, with the additional advantage, at least to some parents, of being distinctly male (there are as many girl Alexes these days as there are boys). While Alec has a clipped British image, it's actually one of the classic Greek names for boys, by way of father name Alexander.

Very popular in Catalonia, in part because of its use by a number of pro athletes. English speakers, though, may interpret it as a "yoonek" spelling of Alex.

Alejandra, the Spanish form of this popular and multivaried name, has fans both in and outside the Latino community. Still, it has lost ground since its peak in the 1990s.

Softer and smoother than Alexander, this classic Spanish name for boys has made a seamless transition to this culture. Adding to its current impact: the Lady Gaga song Alejandro .

Another appealing member of the Alexandrian clan.

The Russian variation of Alex or Alec.

The Russian variation of Alex or Alec is the name of the moon-faced, dark-skinned African supermodel Alek Weks. For your little girl, this may be a new twist on Alexa or an innovative short form of Alexandra.

Aleksandra is the preferred spelling in many Eastern European languages and cultures, but for English-speakers it's ironically more confusing if also perfectly phonetically clear.

Aleksej is the Slovene form of Alexios, making it a cognate of Alexis.

This softened version is even prettier than the original.

Young Canadian pop singer Alessia Cara has given this spicy-sounding name a new lease on life, propelling it into the Top 1000 in 2016. (It was one of the year's fastest-rising girls' names.) The main risk is that it feels so close to Alexa, Alicia, Alexis and Alyssa-- all becoming overused -- that it could be mistaken for one of those more familiar names.