Alessia is the Italian feminine form of Alessio, from the Greek Alexios, and means "defender" or "helper", the same root as Alexis and Alexander. It has been one of the most popular girls' names in Italy since the 1990s, and singer Alessia Cara brought it to American radio. Alessia entered the US top 1000 in 2016, climbed from number 1170 in 2015 to a peak of 282 in 2024 and ranks 326th in 2025.