The first name Alexander
A boy’s name from Greek meaning “to defend”, “man”.
Pronounced /ˌælɪɡˈzændɚ/ 4 syllables Male Also a surname
Meaning and origin
Greek origin
Alexander means “to defend”, “man” in Greek.
From Middle English Alexander, Alexandre, from Latin Alexander, from Ancient Greek Ἀλέξανδρος (Aléxandros), from ἀλέξω (aléxō, “to defend”) + ἀνδρ- (andr-), the stem of ἀνήρ (anḗr, “man”). Doublet of Alastair, Alejandro, Iskandar, Sikandar, Alessandro, and Alexandre.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 1,271 boys were named Alexander, making it the 40th most popular boys’ name. It peaked in 1996, with 4,840 births (#14).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Alexander with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Alexander at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 7,230 boys born in the United States were named Alexander, the 30th most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 1993, when 20,530 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Alexander in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Spelled Alexander in Danish, Dutch, German, Icelandic, Latin, Norwegian, Slovak and Swedish too.
Nicknames and spellings
Famous people named Alexander
739 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Alexander Graham BellCanadian-American scientist inventor of telephone (1847–1922)
- Alexander PopeEnglish poet (1688–1744)
- Alexander HamiltonAmerican Founding Father and statesman (1755/1757–1804)
- Alexander I6th Pope of the Catholic Church from c. 107 to c. 115
- Alexander DubčekFirst Secretary of the Czechoslovak Communist Party (1921-1992)
- Alexander StubbFinnish politician and the 13th President of Finland (2024–)
- Alexander SchallenbergChancellor of Austria in 2021 and 2025
- Alexander ToddBritish biochemist and Nobel laureate (1907-1997)
- Alexander GrothendieckFrench mathematician (1928–2014)
- Alexander CalderAmerican artist (1898–1976)
- Alexander McQueenBritish fashion designer (1969–2010)
- Alexander VCatholic cardinal and antipope (1339-1410)
More Greek boys’ names
Questions
- What does the name Alexander mean?
- Alexander means “to defend”, “man” in Greek.
- What is the origin of the name Alexander?
- From Middle English Alexander, Alexandre, from Latin Alexander, from Ancient Greek Ἀλέξανδρος (Aléxandros), from ἀλέξω (aléxō, “to defend”) + ἀνδρ- (andr-), the stem of ἀνήρ (anḗr, “man”). Doublet of Alastair, Alejandro, Iskandar, Sikandar, Alessandro, and Alexandre.
- How popular is the name Alexander?
- In 2025, 1,271 boys born in England and Wales were named Alexander, ranking 40th. Its peak was 1996, with 4,840 births.
- What are nicknames for Alexander?
- Common nicknames for Alexander include Lex, Alec, Elsie, Aleck, Sander, Xander.
- Is Alexander a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a boy's name: 99% of the 740,668 US babies named Alexander since 1880 were boys.
- When was Alexander most popular?
- 1993 in the United States, when 20,530 babies were named Alexander, its highest rank at 21st.
- How do you pronounce Alexander?
- Alexander is /ˌælɪɡˈzændɚ/, 4 syllables.
- What are other spellings of Alexander?
- Iskander, Iskandar, Eskinder, Askander, Scandar and Sikandar.
- Is Alexander also a surname?
- Yes. Alexander is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.