Alex History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
France
Poland

Etymology of Alex

What does the name Alex mean?

The Alex family can find its origins within the landscape of Medieval France, particularly in that coastal region known as Normandy. Their name is derived from the ancient Greek given name Alexandros.

Early Origins of the Alex family

The surname Alex was first found in Normandy (French: Normandie), the former Duchy of Normandy, where the family have held a family seat since ancient times.

Early History of the Alex family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Alex research. Another 115 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1653 and 1734 are included under the topic Early Alex History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Alex Spelling Variations

The many different spellings of French surnames can be partially explained by the use of local dialects and by the influence of other languages during the early development of the French language. As a result of these linguistic and cultural influences, the name Alex is distinguished by a number of regional variations. The many spelling variations of the name include Alexandre, Alexande, Alexand, Alexendre, Alexende, Alexend, Alessandre, Alessande, Alessand, Alessendre, Alessende, Alessend, Alex, Alesse and many more.

Early Notables of the Alex family

Notable amongst the family in this period was

Dom Jacques Alexandre (1653-1734), a French learned Benedictine monk of the Congregation of St...

Alex Ranking

In the United States, the name Alex is the 7,442^nd most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 1 However, in France, the name Alex is ranked the 2,517^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,500 - 3,000 people with that name. 2

Alex migration to the United States +

Approximately 110 years after the first landings by Cartier, there were only about 300 people in Quebec. France gave land incentives for 2,000 migrants during the next decade. Early marriage was desperately encouraged amongst the immigrants. The fur trade attracted migrants, both noble and commoner. 15,000 explorers left Montreal in the late 17th and 18th centuries. By 1675, there were 7000 French in Quebec. Migration to New France (Quebec) continued from France until it fell in 1759. In the year 1675 the Acadian presence in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island had reached 500. In 1755, 10,000 French Acadians refused to take an oath of allegiance to England and were deported to Louisiana. The French founded Lower Canada, thus becoming one of the two great founding nations of Canada. The distinguished family name Alex has made significant contributions to the culture, arts, sciences and religion of France and New France. Amongst the settlers in North America with this distinguished name Alex were

Alex Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Michael Alex, aged 27, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1753 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Alex (post 1700) +

Leonard Alex Engelman (1941-2024), American two-time Primetime Emmy Award nominated make-up artist who worked on the films Cat People (1982), Ghostbusters (1984), Beverly Hills Cop (1984), Rocky IV (1985), and How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)
Sterling Alex Hitchcock (b. 1971), American former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher
William Alex Hudson (1935-2017), American football defensive tackle, AFL All-Star (1961)
Duncan Alex Cameron (1863-1936), American Democratic Party politician, Member of Michigan State House of Representatives from Alpena District, 1933-34; Defeated, 1930, 1934 4
Barbara Alex Toy FRGS (1908-2001), Australian-born, British travel writer, theatrical director, playwright, and screenplay writer
Michael Alex Crabtree Jr. (b. 1987), American football wide receiver for the Oakland Raiders
George Alex Stevens (1875-1954), British songwriter and musical show director
Edgar Alex Loyd (1927-1976), American football end
J. Alex Tinsley (b. 1892), American Democratic Party politician, Member of West Virginia State House of Delegates from Fayette County
William Alex Stolt (1900-2001), American politician, Mayor of Anchorage, Alaska, 1941-44 5

Historic Events for the Alex family +

Flight TWA 800

Mr. Christian Alex (d. 1996), from France, French passenger flying aboard Flight TWA 800 from J.F.K. Airport, New York to Leonardo da Vinci Airport, Rome when the plane crashed after takeoff ; he died in the crash 6

The Alex Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Partout et toujours fidele a Dieu et au Roy
Motto Translation: Everywhere and always faithful to God and the King

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 2) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 14) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
The Washington Post Passenger List TWA Flight 800. (Retrieved 2018, February 15th). Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/national/longterm/twa800/list01.htm