A name of Greek origin meaning 'defender' or 'helper', used for both males and females in modern English.
From Greek 'alexein' meaning to defend or help, combined with the diminutive suffix '-is'. It was originally a masculine name but became unisex in English.
Gender-neutral names are becoming more common in modern English, and names like Alexis show how older gendered names are being reclaimed as unisex—this linguistic shift reflects changing social attitudes about gender identity.
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