Alexis
A surname taken from a given name meaning “helper,” ultimately from Greek.
The #5,070 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 44,649 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Alexis comes from the Greek personal name Alexios/Alexis, built from the verb alexein, meaning “to ward off,” “defend,” or “help.” In that sense, the name was understood as “helper” or “defender.” It passed into Latin as Alexius and spread through Christian naming after the cult of Saint Alexis, then into various European languages as a given name and later a surname.
History
The name was widely used in Christian Europe because of Saint Alexis, the legendary Roman noble who renounced wealth and lived as an ascetic. As a surname, Alexis is usually a family name formed from the given name rather than an occupational or place-name surname. It is found in English-speaking countries, but it is especially familiar in French, Greek, and other European naming traditions.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The saintly story of Alexis was so popular in medieval Europe that it circulated in many vernacular versions and helped keep the name in use for centuries.
From the historical record
“tagne, nannte sich in Deutschland Häring (so in Soldin) — daher der Romandichter Wühelm H. (Willibald Alexis). Hargens s. Hari (einst. K.). HAfil I. got. harjis, ahd. haii, heri, mhd. her „Heer**. Seit dem 1. Jh. in EN. nach- weisbar (Carlo valda Bataverfürst). FN. Haribald: Herbold.”
— Die deutschen Familiennamen