Zander
Zander was the 397th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 804 babies. Its best year was 2013, when it ranked 230th with 1,600 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 148 places. More babies were named Zander in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning short form of Alexander ('defender of men') · Greek
Say it ZAN-der /ˈzændər/
- Rank in 2025
- #397 boys, down 116 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 804boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20131,600 babies
- Total since 1880
- 28,786babies recorded
What does the name Zander mean?
Zander is a short form of Alexander, a respelling of Xander, taken from the second half of the name. DMNES derives Alexander from Greek alexō, "I defend", and anēr (genitive andros), "man", and lists a long line of popes, kings and saints. Bardsley notes that Alexander was an early favorite in England, spread by legends of Alexander the Great. Zander as a full name is a late-20th-century American use.
ἀλέξω (Ancient Greek, “I defend”)ἀνήρ (Ancient Greek, “man”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Xander, Alexander, Sander, Alex.
See also: Greek names, names that mean protector.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Zander', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources (ed. S. L. Uckelman), Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Alexander', DMNES, Durham University
- Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (1901), s.v. 'Alexander', Henry Frowde (public domain; Internet Archive scan)
Zander popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 36 since 2004.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #397 | 804 |
| 2020 | #281 | 1,195 |
| 2010 | #294 | 1,119 |
| 2000 | #992 | 150 |
| 1990 | #9,485 | 5 |
| 1980 | — | — |
| 1970 | — | — |
| 1960 | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Zander, counting every spelling?
Zander has no other common spelling that sounds the same. Counting every name's spellings together, it ranks #405 for boys in 2025, against #397 on the official list, because Kason/Kasen/Casen and Mohamed/Mohammad/Mohammed and Rhys/Reece/Rhyse move ahead once their spellings are combined.
How many kids will share the name Zander?
804 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Zander (0.22 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Zander 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 10 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Zander.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Zander?
About 28,400 people born in the US named Zander are alive today, with a median age of 12; half are between 7 and 18. That makes Zander a young name: most people with it are children.
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.
Zander by state
How common Zander was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in West Virginia (3.3×), Nevada (1.9×), Oklahoma (1.9×), Kentucky (1.9×), New Mexico (1.8×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Rhode Island, New Jersey, Connecticut.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Zander: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Zander, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Zander · Sibling names for Zander
Questions about the name Zander
What does Zander mean?
Zander means “short form of Alexander ('defender of men')” (Greek origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Zander?
Zander was the 397th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 804 babies. Its best year was 2013, when it ranked 230th with 1,600 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 148 places. More babies were named Zander in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Zander a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Zander in the US.
Where is Zander most popular?
In 2021–2025, Zander was most common in West Virginia (1.84 per 1,000 boys), followed by Nevada and Oklahoma.