Alessandra
Alessandra was the 443rd most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 697 babies. Its best year was 2015, when it ranked 276th with 1,141 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 167 places. More babies were named Alessandra in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning defender of men (Italian form of Alexandra) · Greek, Italian
Say it ah-leh-SAHN-druh /ˌɑlɛˈsɑndrə/
- Rank in 2025
- #443 girls, down 75 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 697girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20151,141 babies
- Total since 1880
- 24,836babies recorded
What does the name Alessandra mean?
Alessandra is the Italian form of Alexandra, the feminine of Alexander. DMNES derives Alexander from Greek alexō, "I defend", and anēr, "man", and records Alexandra in France around 823 and Alisandra in 16th-century Italy, noting the feminine was never as common as the masculine. It is used in Italian and Latino families in the US.
ἀλέξω (Ancient Greek, “I defend”)ἀνήρ (Ancient Greek, “man”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Alexandra, Alessia, Sandra, Alexander.
See also: Greek names, names that mean protector.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Alessandra', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources (ed. S. L. Uckelman), Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Alexandra', DMNES, Durham University
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources (ed. S. L. Uckelman), Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Alexander', DMNES, Durham University
Nicknames for Alessandra
The usual nicknames for Alessandra are Alessa, Sandra and Ale. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 girls named Alessandra in the last five years, 30 were named Sandra, against 235 twenty years earlier. Alessa is also gaining on the full name.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Girls, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alessa | Modern | #1,872 | 657 |
| Sandra · also for Alexandra | Traditional | #1,210 | 1,155 |
| Ale · also for Alejandro, Alejandra | Modern | — | — |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are girls given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Alessandras go by each one.
Alessandra popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #443 | 697 |
| 2020 | #368 | 843 |
| 2010 | #386 | 830 |
| 2000 | #672 | 359 |
| 1990 | #827 | 237 |
| 1980 | #2,281 | 43 |
| 1970 | #2,522 | 29 |
| 1960 | #3,095 | 16 |
| 1950 | #4,744 | 6 |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Alessandra, counting every spelling?
Alessandra is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #452 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #443 for Alessandra on its own. Together these spellings went to 706 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alessandra | 697 | #443 | 3,820 |
| Alesandra | 9 | #10,141 | 38 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Alessandra?
697 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Alessandra (0.19 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Alessandra born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 12 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Alessandra.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Alessandra?
About 24,500 people born in the US named Alessandra are alive today, with a median age of 14; half are between 8 and 22. That makes Alessandra mostly worn by children and young adults.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Alessandra by state
How common Alessandra was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in New Mexico (3.1×), Arizona (2.6×), Texas (2.1×), California (2.1×), Connecticut (1.9×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Minnesota, Alabama, Arkansas.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Alessandra: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Alessandra, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Alessandra · Sibling names for Alessandra
Questions about the name Alessandra
What does Alessandra mean?
Alessandra means “defender of men (Italian form of Alexandra)” (Greek, Italian origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Alessandra?
Alessandra was the 443rd most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 697 babies. Its best year was 2015, when it ranked 276th with 1,141 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 167 places. More babies were named Alessandra in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Alessandra a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Alessandra in the US.
Where is Alessandra most popular?
In 2021–2025, Alessandra was most common in New Mexico (1.48 per 1,000 girls), followed by Arizona and Texas.