Alexander
Alexander was the 30th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 7,230 babies. Its best year was 2009, when it ranked 4th; the most babies were born in 1993 (20,530). Over the last ten years it has moved down 22 places. More babies were named Alexander in the 1990s than in any other decade.
Meaning defender of men · Ancient Greek
Say it al-ig-ZAN-der /ˌælɪɡˈzændər/
- Rank in 2025
- #30 boys, down 20 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 7,230boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 199320,530 babies
- Total since 1880
- 740,668babies recorded
What does the name Alexander mean?
Alexander is Greek, from alexō, 'I defend', and anēr (andros), 'man'. Alexander the Great made it famous. Medieval romances about him, together with popes, saints and three kings of Scotland, kept it common. Wiktionary also records it as a Scottish surname from Gaelic Mac Alasdair.
ἀλέξω (Ancient Greek, “I defend”)ἀνήρ, ἀνδρός (Ancient Greek, “man”)
How sure is this? Well established.
See also: Greek names, names that mean protector.
Nicknames for Alexander
The usual nicknames for Alexander are Alex, Xander, Lex, Al, Alec, Sandy and Sasha. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 boys named Alexander in the last five years, 22 were named Alex, against 38 twenty years earlier. Xander and Lex and Sasha are also gaining on the full name.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Boys, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alex · also for Alejandro, Alexandra, Alexandria | Traditional | #232 | 9,032 |
| Xander | Modern | #259 | 8,636 |
| Lex · also for Alexis, Alexa, Alexia | Modern | #2,322 | 391 |
| Al · also for Alistair, Alan, Albert | Traditional | #6,822 | 59 |
| Alec | Traditional | #977 | 1,534 |
| Sandy · also for Alexandra, Cassandra, Sandra | Traditional | #7,112 | 53 |
| Sasha · Russian pet form of Alexander · also for Alexandra | Traditional | #2,748 | 253 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are boys given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Alexanders go by each one.
Alexander popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 4,545 since 1909, 14 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #30 | 7,230 |
| 2020 | #10 | 10,268 |
| 2010 | #6 | 16,769 |
| 2000 | #20 | 17,290 |
| 1990 | #28 | 16,194 |
| 1980 | #91 | 3,279 |
| 1970 | #137 | 2,463 |
| 1960 | #232 | 1,199 |
| 1950 | #189 | 1,164 |
| 1940 | #188 | 760 |
| 1930 | #168 | 872 |
| 1920 | #117 | 1,474 |
| 1910 | #101 | 324 |
| 1900 | #93 | 260 |
| 1890 | #85 | 202 |
| 1880 | #73 | 211 |
How popular is Alexander, counting every spelling?
Alexander is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #34 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #30 for Alexander on its own. Together these spellings went to 7,342 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alexander | 7,230 | #30 | 40,877 |
| Alexzander | 68 | #2,126 | 586 |
| Alekzander | 16 | #5,616 | 137 |
| Aleczander | 6 | #10,745 | 67 |
| Alexsander | 9 | #8,280 | 52 |
| Alexxander | 6 | #10,748 | 31 |
| Alekxander | 7 | #9,764 | 28 |
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 Alexander?
7,230 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Alexander (2.00 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Alexander born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is about 1 in 27. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 1 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Alexander.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Alexander?
About 669,700 people born in the US named Alexander are alive today, with a median age of 25; half are between 15 and 34. That makes Alexander 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.
Alexander by state
How common Alexander was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in District of Columbia (2.1×), Wyoming (1.9×), Rhode Island (1.7×), Delaware (1.6×), Hawaii (1.6×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Mississippi, Louisiana, Iowa.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Alexander: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Alexander, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Alexander · Sibling names for Alexander
Questions about the name Alexander
What does Alexander mean?
Alexander means “defender of men” (Ancient Greek origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Alexander?
Alexander was the 30th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 7,230 babies. Its best year was 2009, when it ranked 4th; the most babies were born in 1993 (20,530). Over the last ten years it has moved down 22 places. More babies were named Alexander in the 1990s than in any other decade.
Is Alexander a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Alexander in the US.
Where is Alexander most popular?
In 2021–2025, Alexander was most common in District of Columbia (9.82 per 1,000 boys), followed by Wyoming and Rhode Island.