Alexander
How to say it: al-ig-ZAN-dur · /ˌælɪɡˈzændər/
Defender of men — from the Greek Alexandros, combining alexein (to defend) and aner (man).
Alexander was the 32nd most popular boys’ name in the United States in 2025, given to 7,230 babies (Social Security Administration). Its busiest decade was the 1990s, its births are down about 50% in ten years, and it is projected to slip to #72 by 2030.
Updated · SSA 2025 data, published May 2026 · Insee 2025 data, published July 2026 · How we compute these figures
Key facts
| Rank among boys’ names, 2025 | #32 |
|---|---|
| Babies born in 2025 | 7,230 |
| Share of births | 1 in 443 |
| Peak decade | 1990s |
| Change over 10 years | −50% |
| Projected rank for 2030 (estimate) | #72 |
| In France, 2025 | #92 among boys’ names, 40 births |
Sources: Social Security Administration (SSA), Insee (France). How we compute these figures.
Its life, decade by decade
After reaching a high in the 1990s, Alexander settled into steady use. It now stands well below that high at #32 and looks set to ease lower.
What goes with it
Soft flowing consonants meet crisp edges, giving a royal strength that carries across borders. Alex pairs easily, while Sebastian shares the same grand style.
Middle names that flow with Alexander →
Parents who love Alexander also love
Nicknames
- Alex
- Alec
- Xander
- Lex
- Sasha
Honouring a Alexander in the family
In the classroom
In a class of 25 children born in 2025, the chance that another child is called Alexander is about 1 in 19.
Around the world
This spelling is used in Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Norwegian, Swedish, Welsh.
In France: #92 for boys in 2025.
England and Wales: #40. Ireland: #55.
Famous people named Alexander
- Alexander Graham Bell (1847–1922)Canadian-American scientist inventor of telephone
- Alexander von Humboldt (1769–1859)Prussian geographer, naturalist and explorer
- Alexander Fleming (1881–1955)Scottish biologist, pharmacologist, botanist, and Nobel laureate
From Wikidata and Wikipedia
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