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Baby names

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Alexandra - nicknames?

60 replies

ForRubyFinch · 04/06/2026 08:21

DD3 is on the way and we are thinking Alexandra - what do people think of the nicknames Alex vs Lexie ? Or any others of course ! 🤗❤️😊

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NamingNoNames · 12/06/2026 09:33

@childoftkty They do on MN!

I have a long name with about 3 possible diminutives. 2 are OK and the other a bit less so. Not the name but something like Christopher/Chris/Christoph/Kit and everyone calls me Chris. What was the point of putting Christopher on the BC? It's only used on documents and on my wedding day.

(I'm female and not a Chris but it's comparable)

Almakarlinsghost · 12/06/2026 08:39

ForRubyFinch · 11/06/2026 22:04

update - still torn - may just go with Alexandra and see how tings naturally evolve!

Edited

"Adini" would stand out. :)

I've also heard of "Aline" in the same circles (19th century royals!). Presumably via the variant "Alexandrine".
By the way, Queen Victoria's name was Alexandrina Victoria and she was known in childhood as "Drina". She had a grandson Alexander much later who was called "Drino".

Almakarlinsghost · 12/06/2026 08:36

HalfasleepChrisintheMorning · 04/06/2026 17:34

Alix not Alex for a girl

"Alix" is an independent name, a variant of Alice. If people want to spell the diminutive of Alexandra this way, fine (Edward VII's Queen did), but it's unusual and certainly not a "rule" for the female version. Every single Alexandra I have known has been "Alex" for short, logically.

If you want to get all royal, another nickname used in the Russian and Prussian families (including for Queen Alexandra's namesake) was "Adini", very obscure these days but quite pretty.

ForRubyFinch · 11/06/2026 22:04

update - still torn - may just go with Alexandra and see how tings naturally evolve!

OP posts:
NewbieSM · 05/06/2026 09:31

I too am an Alexandra, hated my name as a child and teen as it felt too grown up and a bit stiff. But as an adult I have grown to love it, classic and not too common (although this thread makes me think otherwise). I mostly go by Alex or Allie by friends and colleagues. My family have always used my full name.

Lampzade · 05/06/2026 09:28

I named my Goddaughter Alexandra .
i call her the full name

Lomonald · 05/06/2026 09:24

ForRubyFinch · 04/06/2026 08:21

DD3 is on the way and we are thinking Alexandra - what do people think of the nicknames Alex vs Lexie ? Or any others of course ! 🤗❤️😊

Aww i love Alexandra we considered it for Dd1 but the woman in the next hospital bed named her baby Lexie, and it might have looked like we were copying anyway i would go with Alex.if you do call her Alexandra.

moonshinepoursthroughmywindow · 05/06/2026 09:22

For Alexandra, I'd probably use Alexandra in full or Allie when she was very little, and Alex when she was older - but with the proviso that of she herself preferred something else, I'd go along with it. I think of Lexi as being a more natural diminutive for names where the "lex" syllable is stressed - I used to know a class with two of them, one short for Alexis and one for Alexia.

I like Sasha but I don't think many people world see the connection nowadays, when it's often used as an independent name. And I can tell you from experience that it can create minor but annoying problems when the initial of the name you go by in everyday life is not the same as your official initial.

LiquoriceAllsorts2 · 05/06/2026 09:20

HalfasleepChrisintheMorning · 04/06/2026 17:34

Alix not Alex for a girl

I know loads of female Alex’s, when I was at school it was used for both and very much unisex but probably with more females

LiquoriceAllsorts2 · 05/06/2026 09:19

I like Lexa or Ally best.

Alexandra on its own is also really nice, I would probably use that a lot with a mix of a shortened version.

catin8oot5 · 05/06/2026 08:08

I’m Alexandra I go by Ally. Was called Alex as a child and hated it so switched to Ally at about 13. I go by my full name for work though

childoftkty · 05/06/2026 07:47

NamingNoNames · 04/06/2026 14:45

@BotterMon , Because the short versions tend to go out of fashion or Alexandra might want to be Alex at home and Sasha with friends but Sandy at work.

The short forms of Elizabeth definitely fall in and out of fashion. Baby names since 1904: how has yours performed? - Office for National Statistics

Nobody needs 3 names. I’m vehemently against giving a child a name you don’t intend to use.

NerrSnerr · 05/06/2026 07:17

I have an Alexandra. She preferred to be called Alexandra did a long time but now as a preteen she is preferring Alex. A couple of friends call her Allie.

Personally I’d see what comes naturally.

mathanxiety · 04/06/2026 23:58

I know dozens of Alis and Alexs. They are two a penny.

I know one Xan, which always seemed a bit trying too hard/ contrived.

Alix is nice imo, but indistinguishable from Alex in speech.

notatinydancer · 04/06/2026 19:43

elQuintoConyo · 04/06/2026 09:12

Alexandra is beautiful. The diminutives are bland and boring.

A nickname would come about over time, like Squish, Robin, Muppet....

*My family nickname was Eric, and I'm a girl!

Yes. Alex is a diminutive not a nickname.

Dimms · 04/06/2026 19:41

My teenage niece is Alexandra and she gets Alexa from her peers. My sister is often mortified by the idea that people think she named her child after the Amazon product.

lemoncurdcupcake · 04/06/2026 19:35

Surprised by the Lexi dislike. I think it's cool! Have only ever met sporty, lovely, friendly Lexis!

Xmasallergies · 04/06/2026 19:24

I don’t like Lexie, but the others are ok. Alexandra is lovely

Bellybellas · 04/06/2026 17:50

Lexie is not good.

Bellybellas · 04/06/2026 17:49

I know as many females called Alex as males. It’s completely unisex in my experience.

Notmycircusnotmyotter · 04/06/2026 17:47

Comsicomsa · 04/06/2026 09:18

Hi, I'm an Alexandra. I absolutely hate it when people call me Alex. It's a male name, has none of the grace of Alexandra. Do you have to shorten it? Just use an entirely different name. Noone shortens it around me because I introduce myself with my full name and it has never been an issue.

Me too!! I really dislike being called Alex

damemaggiescurledupperlip · 04/06/2026 17:46

Andie

TidyDancer · 04/06/2026 17:40

Alexandra is such a beautiful name. Alex is the most obvious shortening and is lovely on its own. It’s not a male name, it’s handily unisex. Really don’t like Lexi, but it’s not dreadful.

citybroker1234 · 04/06/2026 17:37

i know a lovely Alexandria. I call her Flexie Lexie x

HalfasleepChrisintheMorning · 04/06/2026 17:34

Alix not Alex for a girl