First Name
665k
in the U.S.
since 1880
Last Name
205k
in the U.S.
in 2010
Girls
Boys
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Last
On This Page
  1. Related Names
  2. Pronunciation
  3. Meanings and Origins
  4. Notable Persons Named Alexander
  5. Notable Persons With the Last Name Alexander
  6. Popularity by Year and Gender
  7. Regional Popularity
  8. Ethnicity Distribution
  9. Fun Facts
  10. What Alexanders Have Visited This Page?
  11. Name Poster

How to Pronounce Alexander

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Meaning and Origin

What does the name Alexander mean? Find out below.

Origin and Meaning of Alexander

User Submitted Origins

Greek
33%
English
33%
Arabic
20%
African American
7%
Spanish
7%

User Submitted Meanings

  • According to a user from Connecticut, United States, the name Alexander is of Greek origin and means "Defender of the People".
  • A user from United Kingdom says the name Alexander is of Unknown origin and means ""Defender of Mankind"".
  • According to a user from Arizona, United States, the name Alexander is of Unknown origin and means "Eveything".
  • A user from Serbia says the name Alexander is of Unknown origin and means "Guardian.".
  • A user from California, United States says the name Alexander is of Arabic origin and means "Defender of men".

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Webster's Unabridged Dictionary
noun Alexander
Senses
  1. 1a European herb (Smyrnium olusatrum) somewhat resembling celery widely naturalized in Britain coastal regions and often cultivated as a potherb.
    synonyms: Alexanders, black lovage, horse parsley
  2. 1the famous king of Macedon, son of Philip; conqueror of Greece and Egypt and Persia; founder of Alexandria -- (356-323 BC).
    synonyms: Alexander the Great
Other Dictionary Sources
  1. King of Macedon; conqueror of Greece and Egypt and Persia; founder of Alexandria (356-323 BC)
    Synonyms: alexander the great
  2. European herb somewhat resembling celery widely naturalized in Britain coastal regions and often cultivated as a potherb
    Synonyms: alexanders, black lovage, horse parsley, and smyrnium olusatrum
Wiktionary

Borrowing from Latin Alexander, from Ancient Greek Ἀλέξανδρος (Aléxandros), from ἀλέξω (aléxō, “I defend”) + ἀνδρ- (andr-), the stem of ἀνήρ (anḗr, “man”).

  1. A male given name, most famously held by Alexander the Great.
  2. A patronymic surname​.
  3. Alternative letter-case form of alexander

Alexander was also found in the following language(s): Danish, German, Hungarian, Icelandic, Latin, Norwegian, Scots, Slovak, and Swedish

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Notable Persons Named Alexander

Alexander Hamilton

Alexander Hamilton was a Delegate to the Congress of the Confederation, from New York, 1st United States Secretary of the Treasury, Senior Officer of the Army, Delegate to theCongress of the Confederation, fromNew York, and Commanding General of the United States Army. His military service ended in 1776. Alexander was born on January 11th, 1755 in Charlestown, Saint Kitts and Nevis. He died on July 12th, 1804.

Popularity:
Alexander the Great

Alexander the Great is royalty. He holds the title Basileus of Macedon, Hegemon of the Hellenic League, Shahanshah of Persia, Pharaoh of Egypt, Lord of Asia, BasileusofMacedon, Hegemonof theHellenic League, ShahanshahofPersia, and PharaohofEgypt. He has had major accomplishments since 336. Alexander was born as the child of Philip II of Macedon and Olympias in Pella, Macedon.

Popularity:
Alexander Skarsgård

Alexander Skarsgård is an actor and director. He has had major accomplishments since 1984. Alexander was given the name Alexander Johan Hjalmar Skarsgård by his parent Stellan Skarsgård on August 25th, 1976 in Stockholm.

Popularity:
Alec Baldwin

Alec Baldwin is an actor, comedian, producer, and television producer. He was most prominent from 1980 to present. Alec was given the name Alexander Rae Baldwin III on April 3rd, 1958 in Amityville, New York.

Popularity:
Alexander Graham Bell

Alexander Graham Bell was an inventor, scientist, engineer, professor, and teacher of the deaf. Alexander was born on March 3rd, 1847 in Edinburgh. He left this life on August 2nd, 1922.

Popularity:
Alex Jones

Alex Jones is a radio personality, film producer, and radio host. Alex was given the name Alexander Emerick Jones on February 11th, 1974 in Dallas, Texas, United States.

Popularity:
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Notable Persons With the Last Name Alexander

Diego Luna

Diego Luna is an actor, director, and producer. He has had major accomplishments since 1982. Diego was given the name Diego Luna Alexander on December 29th, 1979 in Mexico City.

Popularity:
Sasha Alexander

Sasha Alexander is an actor and actress. She has had major accomplishments since 1997. Sasha was given the name Suzana S. Drobnjaković on May 17th, 1973 in Los Angeles, California, U.S.

Popularity:
Jaimie Alexander

Jaimie Alexander is an actress. She was most prominent from 2001 to 2001. Jaimie was born on March 12th, 1984 in Greenville, South Carolina, U.S.

Popularity:
Jason Alexander

Jason Alexander is an actor, comedian, and voice actor. He was most prominent from 1981 to present. Jason was given the name Jay Scott Greenspan on September 23rd, 1959 in Newark, New Jersey, U.S.

Popularity:
Larry D. Alexander

Larry D. Alexander is a in the fields of visual arts, author, catechesis, and evangelism. Larry was given the name Larry Dell Alexander on May 30th, 1953 in Dermott, Arkansas.

Popularity:
Olly Alexander

Olly Alexander is an actor, writer, singer, and musician. His career lasted from 2008 to 2008. Olly was given the name Oliver Alexander Thornton on July 15th, 1990 in Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom.

Popularity:
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How popular is the baby name Alexander in the U.S.?

Click Here to Show Chart Data
Year Total Babies Born Girls Born Boys Born Ranking
1880 211 0 211 #73 boy name
1881 209 0 209 #71 boy name
1882 225 0 225 #79 boy name
1883 187 0 187 #80 boy name
1884 236 0 236 #76 boy name
1885 205 0 205 #78 boy name
1886 206 0 206 #83 boy name
1887 180 0 180 #87 boy name
1888 237 0 237 #82 boy name
1889 185 0 185 #93 boy name
1890 202 0 202 #85 boy name
1891 172 0 172 #95 boy name
1892 202 0 202 #95 boy name
1893 218 0 218 #83 boy name
1894 199 0 199 #96 boy name
1895 199 0 199 #97 boy name
1896 232 0 232 #87 boy name
1897 172 0 172
1898 180 0 180
1899 178 0 178 #98 boy name
1900 261 0 261 #93 boy name
1901 162 0 162
1902 216 0 216 #93 boy name
1903 195 0 195 #100 boy name
1904 203 0 203
1905 210 0 210
1906 204 0 204
1907 279 0 279 #92 boy name
1908 246 0 246
1909 260 5 255
1910 324 0 324
1911 426 0 426 #94 boy name
1912 803 0 803 #97 boy name
1913 942 5 937 #98 boy name
1914 1,176 7 1,169 #98 boy name
1915 1,443 11 1,432
1916 1,593 9 1,584 #100 boy name
1917 1,669 5 1,664 #97 boy name
1918 1,598 7 1,591
1919 1,429 7 1,422
1920 1,481 7 1,474
1921 1,532 0 1,532
1922 1,359 0 1,359
1923 1,299 6 1,293
1924 1,387 5 1,382
1925 1,229 6 1,223
1926 1,151 0 1,151
1927 1,103 10 1,093
1928 1,056 8 1,048
1929 996 10 986
1930 876 5 871
1931 793 0 793
1932 783 8 775
1933 659 0 659
1934 622 6 616
1935 701 0 701
1936 618 5 613
1937 676 0 676
1938 672 7 665
1939 723 0 723
1940 760 0 760
1941 818 0 818
1942 860 0 860
1943 924 0 924
1944 864 0 864
1945 896 5 891
1946 973 8 965
1947 1,081 0 1,081
1948 1,130 0 1,130
1949 1,191 5 1,186
1950 1,172 7 1,165
1951 1,211 0 1,211
1952 1,292 8 1,284
1953 1,267 5 1,262
1954 1,235 0 1,235
1955 1,180 7 1,173
1956 1,238 0 1,238
1957 1,263 7 1,256
1958 1,195 9 1,186
1959 1,173 9 1,164
1960 1,212 13 1,199
1961 1,237 8 1,229
1962 1,232 9 1,223
1963 1,311 5 1,306
1964 1,301 10 1,291
1965 1,335 10 1,325
1966 1,379 8 1,371
1967 1,467 10 1,457
1968 1,789 16 1,773
1969 2,042 22 2,020
1970 2,490 17 2,473
1971 2,386 20 2,366
1972 2,135 17 2,118
1973 2,290 31 2,259
1974 2,400 40 2,360
1975 2,471 29 2,442
1976 2,481 33 2,448
1977 2,741 32 2,709 #97 boy name
1978 2,781 36 2,745 #98 boy name
1979 3,095 35 3,060 #94 boy name
1980 3,335 52 3,283 #91 boy name
1981 4,298 58 4,240 #70 boy name
1982 4,672 83 4,589 #65 boy name
1983 4,883 78 4,805 #63 boy name
1984 6,610 119 6,491 #54 boy name
1985 8,437 147 8,290 #50 boy name
1986 10,807 207 10,600 #41 boy name
1987 12,051 216 11,835 #37 boy name
1988 13,661 331 13,330 #34 boy name
1989 14,757 237 14,520 #32 boy name
1990 16,408 223 16,185 #28 boy name
1991 17,830 193 17,637 #26 boy name
1992 20,273 210 20,063 #23 boy name
1993 20,700 178 20,522 #21 boy name
1994 20,262 164 20,098 #22 boy name
1995 19,589 143 19,446 #21 boy name
1996 18,052 92 17,960 #22 boy name
1997 17,190 80 17,110 #22 boy name
1998 17,546 82 17,464 #22 boy name
1999 17,512 96 17,416 #21 boy name
2000 17,346 64 17,282 #20 boy name
2001 16,766 50 16,716 #20 boy name
2002 17,797 84 17,713 #15 boy name
2003 17,762 55 17,707 #16 boy name
2004 18,037 115 17,922 #15 boy name
2005 18,180 63 18,117 #12 boy name
2006 18,271 51 18,220 #12 boy name
2007 18,171 38 18,133 #11 boy name
2008 18,737 44 18,693 #6 boy name
2009 18,261 34 18,227 #4 boy name
2010 16,795 43 16,752 #6 boy name
2011 15,734 34 15,700 #8 boy name
2012 15,260 28 15,232 #9 boy name
2013 14,928 28 14,900 #8 boy name
2014 15,439 33 15,406 #8 boy name
2015 14,553 22 14,531 #8 boy name
2016 13,406 18 13,388 #11 boy name
2017 12,488 21 12,467 #13 boy name
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Where is the name Alexander popular?

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Popularity of Alexander as a first name

The map shows the relative popularity of the name Alexander as a first name in each of the states. See other popular names in Nevada, Connecticut, or Rhode Island.

Popularity of Alexander as a last name

The map shows the relative popularity of the name Alexander as a last name in each of the states. See other popular names in Mississippi, Louisiana, or Texas.

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Common last names for Alexander

  • Smith
  • Brown
  • Johnson
  • Williams
  • Miller
  • Wilson
  • Jones
  • Campbell
  • Anderson
  • Davis
  • Stewart
  • Thompson
  • White
  • Hamilton
  • Walker
  • Ross
  • Martin
  • Moore

Common first names for Alexander

Ethnicity Distribution

Ethnicity Alexander U.S.
â–ˆ  White 58.19% 64.26%
â–ˆ  African American 34.04% 11.96%
â–ˆ  Asian, Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander 1.24% 4.85%
â–ˆ  American Indian and Alaska Native 0.70% 0.69%
â–ˆ  Two or More Ethnicities 2.66% 1.76%
â–ˆ  Hispanic or Latino 3.17% 16.26%

Of Last Name Alexander

People with the last name Alexander are most frequently White or African American

Entire United States

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Fun Facts about the name Alexander

  • What name lists does Alexander rank for?
    #49Most Popular Boy Name
    #53Classic Boy Names
    #12 Last Name First Names
    #23Boy Names Unique to Florida
  • How Popular is the name Alexander? Alexander is the 86th most popular name of all time. In 2017 Alexander was the 13th most popular name. As a last name Alexander was the 118th most popular name in 2010.
  • How many people with the first name Alexander have been born in the United States? From 1880 to 2017, the Social Security Administration has recorded 665,492 babies born with the first name Alexander in the United States. That's more than enough people named Alexander to occupy the country of Montenegro with an estimated population of 620,029 (as of April 1, 2011).
  • What year were 5 or more babies first named Alexander? The name was first given to 5 or more babies in the year 1880 when it was given as a first name to 211 new born babies.
  • When was Alexander first recorded in the United States? The oldest recorded birth by the Social Security Administration for the first name Alexander is Tuesday, November 27th, 1866.
  • What year had the most people named Alexander born? The highest recorded use of the first name Alexander was in 1993 with a total of 20,522 babies. That's a lot of babies named Alexander!
  • Random Alexander Factoid: According to the 1987 U.S. Social Security Administration data, the first name Alexander ranks 52nd in popularity as a baby boy's name in Texas. Imagine that, 581 babies in Texas have the same name as you in 1987.
  • Weird things about the name Alexander: Your name in reverse order is Rednaxela. A random rearrangement of the letters in your name (anagram) will give Edalexanr. How do you pronounce that?
  • How many people have the last name Alexander? In 2010, the U.S. Census Bureau surveyed 204,621 people with the last name Alexander.
  • How likely are you to meet someone with the last name of Alexander? Alexander was ranked as the 118th most popular last name but is still less than 0.1% of the population!
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What Alexanders Have Visited This Page?

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Name poster for Alexander

Name poster for Alexander(click to save the high quality version)

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Most Popular Names

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All Name Lists

  • Sources:
  • U.S. Census Bureau: Frequently Occurring Surnames from the Census 2000 (public domain).
  • U.S. Social Security Administration: Popular Baby Names, Death Master File (public domain).
  • 1913 Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary via the Collaborative International Dictionary of English (License)
  • Other Dictionary Sources: WordNet 3.1 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University (License).
  • Wiktionary: Titles and License.
  • Notable persons via Wikipedia: Titles and License. Click each image for the attribution information.