Alexa

Shortened from Alexandra, which traces to the Greek Alexandros, meaning defender of people. It circulated quietly in central Europe before appearing in American birth registers in 1916. Late twentieth-century parents adopted it as a lighter alternative to Alexis, pushing it into the national mainstream.

The average Alexa is twenty-one, placing the name squarely in college lecture halls and entry-level resumes. It suggests an early iPod Mini in silver, an intact collection of gel pens, and soccer tournaments scheduled by text message. Over half the living bearers belong to Generation Z, arriving just before ambient computing claimed the syllables for grocery lists. Today, introducing oneself as an Alexa usually involves waiting through a brief pause while someone decides whether to make the appliance joke.