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At a Glance: Name: Alexander – Meaning: one who defends or protects men – Origin: Ancient Greek – Gender: Boy – Pronunciation: al-ig-ZAN-der
Alexander is an Ancient Greek name meaning 'one who defends or protects men.' You'll sometimes see it defined as 'defender of the people' or even 'bearer of Christ' — the second is a mix-up with the unrelated name Christopher, and the first loosely stretches the name's actual root, andr- (man/men). It's pronounced al-ig-ZAN-der, and carries a timeless, classic, vintage feel.
Meaning & Origin of Alexander
Meaning: One who defends or protects men.
Origin: Ancient Greek.
A common claim: Alexander is widely claimed to mean 'defender of the people,' and is occasionally said to mean 'bearer of Christ.' Actually: 'Bearer of Christ' is a mix-up with the unrelated name Christopher; and 'defender of the people' loosely broadens the literal root andr- (man/men) — the precise meaning is 'defender of men.'
Source: Wiktionary, Wikipedia.
How to Pronounce Alexander
Phonetic: al-ig-ZAN-der IPA: /ælɪɡˈzændər/
Popularity of Alexander
Alexander ranked #27 in 2024 with 7,517 babies given the name, down from its peak of #4 in 2009 when 18,253 boys were named Alexander — SSA has tracked it since 1880.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration birth-name data, 1880–2024.
Make Alexander Name Art
Free printable nursery art for Alexander, pre-loaded below — pick a layout, palette, and font, then download a print-ready PNG.
Names With a Similar Story
Derived from shared style, era, and origin data (or, for names we have no style data for, a similar Social Security popularity trajectory) — not a hand-picked list.
FAQ
What does the name Alexander mean?
One who defends or protects men. (Source: Wiktionary, https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Alexander)
How do you pronounce Alexander?
Alexander is pronounced al-ig-ZAN-der (IPA: /ælɪɡˈzændər/).
Is Alexander a popular name right now?
Alexander peaked at #4 in 2009 and is ranked #27 as of 2024. (U.S. Social Security Administration data, 1880–2024.)
📊 How popular is Alexander? See the full popularity history, trend data, and ranking since 1880 with our free Baby Name Popularity Checker.
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