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Original poster

Do you think Alex is a male or female?

31 replies

emjan · 01/02/2013 23:32

If you see a name (without knowing the person) Alex on the newspaper or internet, do you think the person is a male or female?

It seems like there is not much girls with the full legal name as "Alex"?, most girls called Alex are their nicknames from Alexandra...

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ladymia · 01/02/2013 23:42

I would instantly assume male

5madthings · 01/02/2013 23:46

Either its unisex so I wouldn't assume what sex theory were.

5madthings · 01/02/2013 23:46

They were not theory..

TheWoollybacksWife · 01/02/2013 23:49

I'd assume either as there is an Alex of each gender in my DS' class and I have to ask him for surnames to ascertain which one he is talking about.

I love both Alexander and Alexandra as names.

luckybun · 01/02/2013 23:50

I find wierdly people always assume male! But I'm working in quite a make dominated industry so perhaps that's why

SoggySummer · 02/02/2013 00:20

I would assume male.

The few Alexandra/Alexandrias I know (from babies to 70yo) Only one is an Alex. Lexie and Lexa/Lexia are what they tend to abbreviate to.

Clary · 02/02/2013 00:22

Alex is ususally a boy. Most of the Alexes I know who are girls go by Lexie/Lexy/Lexey.

onedev · 02/02/2013 00:27

Assume male Smile

Sasparillo · 02/02/2013 00:44

If I was to see Alex written down, I would immediately think it was revering to a boy, I really don't line Alex for a girls name xx

fossil971 · 02/02/2013 00:57

I have a name (well a nn technically) which is not obvious as to gender in a similar way but do you know, it's not a problem. The world is full of people of both genders called Chris, Jo, Sam, Charlie etc. I can't think of any situation where it would cause a problem. Go for it if you like it.

I'm not very fond of shortened names as official names though - I'd go for Alexandra/Alexis and call her Alex for short, gives her a choice when she's older.

OutragedFromLeeds · 02/02/2013 03:52

I'd probably assume male. I'd guess male, if asked to, just because there are so many more Alexanders than Alexandras it must be statistically more likely to be a boy than a girl.

AGreenie · 02/02/2013 05:07

I'm an Alexandra - I know 3 including me! All abbreviate - One is Alex, one is Allie and another is Ali. I wouldn't automatically assume Alex is male, but lots if people do ...

mathanxiety · 02/02/2013 06:00

Alex - male

Allie - female
Ally - female
Alli - female
etc

Alix - female

ProphetOfDoom · 02/02/2013 07:00

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Fishandjam · 02/02/2013 07:08

Male. But I once knew an Alexe (female) so if it was spelled like that I'd assume female, just on past experience.

Alisvolatpropiis · 02/02/2013 14:21

I would assume male on paper.

AuntieStella · 02/02/2013 14:26

I see it as a genuinely unisex nn.

Amongst the adults I know, there are roughly equal numbers of male/female. But amongst DC's friends, they are all boys.

ladymia · 02/02/2013 14:37

It is a unisex nn but if something was written in a paper / on a CV for instance people would usually use their full names so if I saw Alex in the paper I would think male because I have never known a female Alex that has Alex as a full name and not just a nickname.

GraceSpeaker · 02/02/2013 15:03

I'd assume male, because I meet more Alexanders than Alexandras.

BangOn · 03/02/2013 07:59

This is a name which was unisex through the 70s & 80s, went quiet for a while, became 'male' predominantly in the 00s, but is now becoming unisex again (see how Alexandra moved swiftly up the polls between 2011-12.)

I can think of 2 female children & 1 male that i know of called Alex at present. (one of the girls being an Alexandra on bc)

I can think of one of each in terms of grownups.

echidnakid · 03/02/2013 10:07

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Jbck · 03/02/2013 10:13

My Alex is short for her full name but a friends daughter is just Alex. They are the only two that I know personally. I wouldnt necessarily assume anything unless it was pertinent to the situation.

TiggerWearsATriteSmile · 03/02/2013 10:25

Alex to me is male.

I know one Alexandrea and she uses the NN Andrea

DeDevilTail · 03/02/2013 10:35

Despite having an Alexandra myself (known as Sasha) and the only Alex I know being female, I would assume male.

OscarPistoriusBitontheside · 03/02/2013 10:39

I know four female Alexandra's they abbreviate to Alex/Lexy/sandy/Andra.