Alexandra
Alexandra was the 237th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 1,314 babies. Its best year was 1995, when it ranked 26th; the most babies were born in 1993 (10,683). Over the last ten years it has moved down 137 places. More babies were named Alexandra in the 1990s than in any other decade.
Meaning defender of men (feminine of Alexander) · Greek
Say it al-ig-ZAN-druh /ˌælɪɡˈzændrə/
- Rank in 2025
- #237 girls, down 99 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 1,314girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 199310,683 babies
- Total since 1880
- 246,320babies recorded
What does the name Alexandra mean?
Alexandra is the feminine of Alexander, from Greek alexein, 'to defend', and aner (genitive andros), 'man'; Wiktionary, DMNES and Wikipedia agree. Wikipedia notes that the feminine Alexandra is actually attested earlier than the masculine, as an epithet of the goddess Hera. DMNES lists a 4th-century Roman saint and says the name was never as common in the Middle Ages as Alexander. Wiktionary notes places named after Queen Alexandra (1844 to 1925). Alex, Alexa, Sandra and Sasha are among its short forms.
ἀλέξω (Ancient Greek, “I defend”)ἀνήρ (Ancient Greek, “man (gen. ἀνδρός)”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Alexander, Alex, Alexa, Alexis, Sandra, Sasha, Alejandra.
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. 'Alexandra', Durham University / The DMNES Editors
- Wiktionary, entry 'Alexandra', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wikipedia, 'Alexandra', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
Nicknames for Alexandra
The usual nicknames for Alexandra are Alex, Lexi, Allie, Sandy, Sasha, Sandra and Alexa. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 girls named Alexandra in the last five years, 42 were named Allie, against 15 twenty years earlier.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Girls, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alex · also for Alexander, Alejandro, Alexandria | Traditional | #2,487 | 537 |
| Lexi · also for Alexandria, Alexis, Alexa | Modern | #628 | 3,059 |
| Allie · also for Alice, Allison | Modern | #569 | 3,133 |
| Sandy · also for Alexander, Cassandra, Sandra | Traditional | #3,020 | 292 |
| Sasha · Russian pet form · also for Alexander | Traditional | #684 | 2,353 |
| Sandra · also for Alessandra | Traditional | #1,210 | 1,155 |
| Alexa | Modern | #1,029 | 2,369 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are girls given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Alexandras go by each one.
Alexandra popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 869 since 1921.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #237 | 1,314 |
| 2020 | #138 | 1,966 |
| 2010 | #64 | 4,021 |
| 2000 | #36 | 7,550 |
| 1990 | #37 | 8,508 |
| 1980 | #284 | 873 |
| 1970 | #380 | 626 |
| 1960 | #715 | 203 |
| 1950 | #803 | 117 |
| 1940 | #894 | 64 |
| 1930 | #1,321 | 33 |
| 1920 | #1,283 | 36 |
| 1910 | #1,523 | 10 |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Alexandra, counting every spelling?
Alexandra is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #251 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #237 for Alexandra on its own. Together these spellings went to 1,367 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alexandra | 1,314 | #237 | 7,455 |
| Aleksandra | 47 | #3,297 | 257 |
| Alexsandra | 6 | #13,288 | 39 |
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 Alexandra?
1,314 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Alexandra (0.36 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Alexandra 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 6 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Alexandra.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Alexandra?
About 239,000 people born in the US named Alexandra are alive today, with a median age of 29; half are between 20 and 35. That makes Alexandra 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.
Alexandra by state
How common Alexandra was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in District of Columbia (5.6×), Connecticut (2.5×), Massachusetts (2.0×), Delaware (2.0×), New Jersey (2.0×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Mississippi, West Virginia, Hawaii.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Alexandra: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Alexandra, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Alexandra · Sibling names for Alexandra
Questions about the name Alexandra
What does Alexandra mean?
Alexandra means “defender of men (feminine of Alexander)” (Greek origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Alexandra?
Alexandra was the 237th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 1,314 babies. Its best year was 1995, when it ranked 26th; the most babies were born in 1993 (10,683). Over the last ten years it has moved down 137 places. More babies were named Alexandra in the 1990s than in any other decade.
Is Alexandra a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Alexandra in the US.
Where is Alexandra most popular?
In 2021–2025, Alexandra was most common in District of Columbia (5.15 per 1,000 girls), followed by Connecticut and Alaska.