Lexis
A female name of Greek origin meaning 'word' or 'speech'.
Name Census estimates that about 3,282 living Americans carry the first name Lexis. It is a predominantly female name (98.7% of registrations). The average person named Lexis today is around 24 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Lexis births was 1998 (223 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Lexis. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
3.3K
~ 1 in 104,435 Americans
Peak year
1998
223 babies that year
Average age
24
years old
2012 SSA rank
#12,857
Tracked since 1982
Gender
Gender distribution for Lexis
Lexis leans heavily female at 98.7% of total registrations, but 44 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Lexis as a male name
- Ranked #13,435 in 2012
- 5 male births in 2012
- Peak: 1995 (9 births)
Lexis as a female name
- Ranked #12,857 in 2024
- 7 female births in 2024
- Peak: 1998 (217 births)
Popularity
Lexis: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Lexis from the 1980s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 1,470 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Lexis by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Lexis during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Lexis' live
The SSA's state-level files cover 32 states and territories. Texas, California, Ohio recorded the most babies named Lexis, while Virginia, Oregon, Maryland recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 55 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Lexis
The name Lexis is of Greek origin and has its roots in the ancient Greek language. It derives from the word "lexis," which means "word" or "speech." This name is closely tied to the concepts of language, communication, and rhetoric in ancient Greek culture.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Lexis can be found in the works of the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle. In his treatise "Poetics," Aristotle used the term "lexis" to refer to the specific words and phrasing used in literary works. This connection to the art of language and literature likely contributed to the adoption of Lexis as a personal name.
In ancient Greece, the name Lexis was associated with scholars, writers, and orators who valued the power of language and the ability to communicate effectively. It was a name that carried a certain level of prestige and intellectual authority.
One notable historical figure who bore the name Lexis was Lexis of Miletus, a Greek grammarian who lived in the 5th century BCE. He was known for his work on the Ionic dialect and his contributions to the study of language and grammar.
Another individual with the name Lexis was Lexis of Samos, a Greek orator and rhetorician who lived in the 4th century BCE. He was renowned for his skills in public speaking and his ability to persuade audiences through the use of language.
In the realm of literature, the name Lexis appeared in the works of the ancient Greek playwright Aeschylus. In his tragedy "Agamemnon," one of the characters is referred to as Lexis, highlighting the significance of language and communication in the play.
Moving forward in history, the name Lexis was also used by Lexis of Caria, a Greek philosopher and mathematician who lived in the 2nd century BCE. He was known for his work on mathematics and his contributions to the field of geometry.
In more recent times, the name Lexis has been less common, but it has still been used by a few notable individuals. One example is Lexis Petit, a French painter and engraver who lived in the 19th century and was known for his landscapes and etchings.
While the name Lexis may not be as widely used today as it once was in ancient Greece, its connection to language, communication, and scholarly pursuits remains deeply rooted in its origins and historical significance.
People
Lexis + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Lexis as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with L
Other first names starting with L with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Lexis: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Lexis?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 3,282 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Lexis going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 104,435 US residents.
Is Lexis a common name?
We classify Lexis as "Rare". It ranks above 95.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 3,352 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Lexis most popular?
The single biggest year for Lexis was 1998, when 223 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Lexis is about 24 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Lexis a female name?
Yes, 98.7% of people registered as Lexis in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.