Name: Alexis
Gender: Both
Origin: Greek
Meaning: Defender
Pronunciation: (ah LEK sis); (ah LEK sees) [Guide]
Form of: Alexios
Used in: English, French, German and Greek speaking countries

This traditionally male name is now also used for girls in the English-speaking world. In modern Greece it remains a male name, which might more literally be transliterated as ‘Alexes’: in the Greek alphabet it is written ‘alpha-lambda-epsilon-xi-eta-sigma’, with the accent on the epsilon.

Examples of male Alexis’ are Alexis or Alexei of Russia, who was tsar during the 17th century and blues musician Alexis Korner. Female examples include actress Alexis Bledel and the character Alexis Colby on ‘Dynasty’, who was played by Joan Collins.