Alessandro
Alessandro was the 497th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 608 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 186 places. More babies were named Alessandro in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning defender of men (Italian Alexander) · Greek, Italian
Say it al-uh-SAHN-droh /ˌæləˈsɑndroʊ/
- Rank in 2025
- #497 boys, up 129 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 608boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2025608 babies
- Total since 1880
- 12,002babies recorded
What does the name Alessandro mean?
Alessandro is the Italian form of Alexander, inherited from Latin Alexander and Greek Alexandros. DMNES explains the Greek as aléxō, I defend, plus andros, of a man, so the name means roughly "defender of men." Its most famous bearer was Alexander the Great, and DMNES lists popes, emperors and saints who bore it. Spanish speakers sometimes use the Italian form too, beside their own Alejandro.
ἀλέξω (Ancient Greek, “to defend”)ἀνήρ, ἀνδρός (Ancient Greek, “man”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Pronunciation: Italian: ah-less-SAHN-droh.
Related names: Alexander, Alejandro, Sandro, Alessandra, Alessio.
See also: Greek names, names that mean protector.
Sources for this meaning
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Alexander', DMNES (Durham University)
- Wiktionary, entry 'Alessandro' (Italian section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Wiktionary, entry 'Alexander' (English section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
Nicknames for Alessandro
The usual nicknames for Alessandro are Sandro and Alex. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 boys named Alessandro in the last five years, 334 were named Alex, against 2610 twenty years earlier.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Boys, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sandro | Traditional | #2,596 | 232 |
| Alex · also for Alexander, Alejandro, Alexandra | Modern | #232 | 9,032 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are boys given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Alessandros go by each one.
Alessandro popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #497 | 608 |
| 2020 | #626 | 429 |
| 2010 | #677 | 351 |
| 2000 | #939 | 162 |
| 1990 | #1,287 | 74 |
| 1980 | #1,656 | 35 |
| 1970 | #1,797 | 24 |
| 1960 | #3,344 | 7 |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Alessandro, counting every spelling?
Alessandro is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #493 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #497 for Alessandro on its own. Together these spellings went to 617 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alessandro | 608 | #497 | 2,704 |
| Alesandro | 9 | #8,278 | 41 |
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 Alessandro?
608 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Alessandro (0.17 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Alessandro 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 14 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Alessandro.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Alessandro?
About 11,800 people born in the US named Alessandro are alive today, with a median age of 13; half are between 6 and 22. That makes Alessandro 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.
Alessandro by state
How common Alessandro was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Florida (2.5×), Nevada (2.2×), California (2.0×), Texas (1.8×). In 21 states fewer than five boys a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Alessandro: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Alessandro, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Alessandro · Sibling names for Alessandro
Questions about the name Alessandro
What does Alessandro mean?
Alessandro means “defender of men (Italian Alexander)” (Greek, Italian origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Alessandro?
Alessandro was the 497th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 608 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 186 places. More babies were named Alessandro in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Alessandro a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Alessandro in the US.
Where is Alessandro most popular?
In 2021–2025, Alessandro was most common in Florida (0.78 per 1,000 boys), followed by Nevada and California.