The name Alejo is of Spanish origin and means "follower of Jesus" or "defender of humanity". It is a variation of the Latin name Aelius, which was used by several ancient Roman families and also means "eloquent".
The name Alejo has been popular in Spain for centuries and has been borne by several notable figures throughout history. One of the most famous bearers of this name was Saint Alejo (also known as Alexis), who was a monk and bishop in the 4th century AD. He is considered one of the patron saints of Spain and his feast day is celebrated on March 25.
In literature, there have been several characters named Alejo, including Alejo Carpentier, a Cuban writer and one of the founders of the Latin American Boom movement, and Alejo Venegas, a character in Gabriel García Márquez's novel "Love in the Time of Cholera".
Today, Alejo remains a popular name in Spain and other Spanish-speaking countries. It is also used as a unisex name, although it is more commonly given to boys.
Overall, the name Alejo has a strong historical and cultural significance in Spain and Latin America, with its meaning reflecting values such as loyalty, defense of others, and eloquence.
Based on the statistics provided, we can observe a fluctuating trend for the name Alejo over the past century in the United States.
The name first started to gain popularity around the early 1940s, with eight births recorded in both 1943 and 1950. This was followed by another peak in the late 1950s and early 1960s, with eleven births in 1958 and ten births in 1960.
However, it seems that the name Alejo did not maintain consistent popularity throughout the decades. After a brief spike in the mid-1970s with eleven births both in 1976 and 1977, there was a significant decrease in its usage, with only five births recorded in 1978.
Despite this dip, the name Alejo began to regain popularity in the late 1980s and early 1990s. There were twelve births recorded in both 1982 and 1989, followed by thirteen births in both 1992 and 1993.
The most recent data shows that the name Alejo has maintained consistent popularity throughout the 2010s and early 2020s. There were fifteen births recorded in 2013, twelve births in both 2014 and 2015, ten births in both 2017 and 2019, thirteen births in both 2020 and 2021, and finally, twelve births in 2022.
In total, there have been 872 births of the name Alejo recorded in the United States since 1909. While its popularity has fluctuated over time, it is clear that the name Alejo has remained a relevant choice for parents in the US throughout the past century.