Every Boy Name

Boy's name

Alexander

Say it al-ig-ZAN-der 4 syllables

Greek · “to defend + man”

Common across the UK, Poland, the Netherlands, and 19 more places. Rare in France, Italy, Israel, and 3 more places.

1 in 130 boys born in Scotland in 2025. Number 22 there.

Alexander in every place

Rank, count and share in all 40 places: loved in 0, common in 24, rare in 6.
Alexander in every place we hold figures for
Place Rankyear Boysshare 5 years earlier
British Isles
England and Wales40 (down)20251,2711 in 214262020
Scotland22 (down)20251511 in 13082020
Northern Ireland482025421 in 197482020
Ireland55 (down)2025981 in 242402020
North America
Ontario (province)25 (down)2024282about 1 in 212142019
Quebec (province)161 (down)202537about 1 in 7851542020
British Columbia (province)29 (down)202368about 1 in 191142018
Nova Scotia (province)Not in the published top 212025142020
Oceania
New South Wales (state)22 (down)2025222112020
Victoria (state)28 (down)2025184182020
Queensland (state)30 (down)2025134202020
South Australia (state)29 (up)202545302020
New Zealand41 (down)202578322020
Western Europe
France920 (down)2025401 in 7,5677732020
Netherlands67 (up)2025199about 1 in 334692020
Central Europe
Austria17 (down)20253621 in 105112020
Switzerland48 (down)20251131 in 319362020
Berlin (city)29 (down)202379about 1 in 196112018
Munich (city)17 (up)202551about 1 in 86182020
Cologne (city)33 (down)202332about 1 in 19932018
Bonn (city)26 (down)202516about 1 in 198222020
Leipzig (city)65 (down)20258about 1 in 360252020
Rostock (city)35 (down)20255about 1 in 209172020
Nordic countries
Norway81 (down)2025851 in 274552020
Sweden51 (down)2025227about 1 in 190132020
Denmark47 (down)2025157342020
FinlandNot in the published top 502025No list2020
IcelandNot in the published top 102025No list2020
Southern Europe
SpainNot in the published top 1002024Not listed2019
Catalonia (region)120 (down)2025371 in 5601082020
Italy128 (down)20241601 in 1,1831232019
Central and Eastern Europe
Poland98 (up)20251771 in 7141052020
HungaryNot in the published top 1002025952020
SloveniaRare: below the complete list2025Not listed2020
EstoniaNot in the published top 272025Not listed2020
Moscow (city)Not in the published top 612025Not listed2020
CroatiaNot in the published top 502025No list2020
Middle East
TurkeyNot in the published top 302025Not listed2020
Israel (published as אלכסנדר)424 (down)202426about 1 in 3,2733012019
Latin America
ArgentinaNot in the published top 202024Not listed2019

Germany publishes no national list; the German rows are city registers. Israel publishes names in Hebrew script; the original is shown beside the name. About: the publisher leaves out its smallest names, so the share is approximate. ▲ and ▼ compare the rank with five years earlier. Not listed five years earlier: not in that year’s list. No list: the place published no list that year. How these figures are computed.

About the name

Alexander comes from the Greek Aléxandros, made of aléxō, 'to defend', and anḗr, 'man'. From Greek it passed through Latin into Middle English, and it has close doubles in many languages, including Alastair, Alejandro, Alessandro, Iskandar and Sikandar.

2 more paragraphs

With four syllables, al-ig-ZAN-der, it is among the longer classic names, and it comes with plenty of short forms taken straight from it: Alex, Alec, Al and Sandro.

Alexander holds a place in the upper lists in Austria, Scotland, New South Wales and Ontario, and in Denmark and Switzerland. Canadian records place its peak in the early 1990s, and it is falling in most of the places that record it. It remains a widely recognised, dignified choice.

Meaning, origin and how to say it

Say it
al-ig-ZAN-der · 4 syllables · Stress on beat 3 of 4.
Meaning
“to defend + man”
Origin
Greek
Related names
Alejandro, Alessandro, Alexandre, Alex, Sandro, Sander, Aleksander, Oleksandr, Aleks, Aleksandr, Sandor, Alastair, Iskandar, Sikandar, Al, Alec, Aleck, Alistair, Lex, Sandy, Sasha, Xan, Xander
Where Alexander comes from (Wiktionary)

From Middle English Alexander, Alexandre, from Latin Alexander, from Ancient Greek Ἀλέξανδρος (Aléxandros), from ἀλέξω (aléxō, “to defend”) + ἀνδρ- (andr-), the stem of ἀνήρ (anḗr, “man”). Doublet of Alastair, Alejandro, Iskandar, Sikandar, Alessandro, and Alexandre.

Shortened from the Wiktionary entry for Alexander. Text available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Alexander over time

Rising in 1 of the 29 regions we can compare over five years, falling in 19. Peak in Ontario and British Columbia: 1993.

Rank in England and Wales, 1996 to 2025

Alexander in England and Wales: #14 in 1996, and #40 in 2025.

#1#10#50#100#300200020052010201520202025Top 101996: #14, 4,840 boys1997: #16, 4,698 boys1998: #19, 4,460 boys1999: #20, 3,951 boys2000: #21, 3,570 boys2001: #20, 3,366 boys2002: #19, 3,423 boys2003: #20, 3,252 boys2004: #20, 3,191 boys2005: #22, 3,015 boys2006: #24, 3,059 boys2007: #22, 3,087 boys2008: #19, 3,215 boys2009: #22, 2,981 boys2010: #21, 3,025 boys2011: #23, 2,819 boys2012: #27, 2,836 boys2013: #24, 2,837 boys2014: #22, 2,978 boys2015: #22, 2,759 boys2016: #21, 2,567 boys2017: #22, 2,524 boys2018: #22, 2,517 boys2019: #21, 2,344 boys2020: #26, 1,909 boys2021: #27, 1,830 boys2022: #28, 1,651 boys2023: #34, 1,456 boys2024: #36, 1,365 boys2025: #40, 1,271 boyspeak #14, 1996#40in 2025
Show the numbers
YearRankBoys
1996144,840
1997164,698
1998194,460
1999203,951
2000213,570
2001203,366
2002193,423
2003203,252
2004203,191
2005223,015
2006243,059
2007223,087
2008193,215
2009222,981
2010213,025
2011232,819
2012272,836
2013242,837
2014222,978
2015222,759
2016212,567
2017222,524
2018222,517
2019212,344
2020261,909
2021271,830
2022281,651
2023341,456
2024361,365
2025401,271

Source: Office for National Statistics (OGL v3)

The long view: in Ontario and British Columbia

Half of the boys named Alexander in Ontario and British Columbia since 1925 were born in or after 1995. Peak: 1993, about 1,760 per 100,000 boys. Babies per 100,000 boys, five-year periods.

1925-1929: 502.1 per 100,000 boys1930-1934: 440.9 per 100,000 boys1935-1939: 329.2 per 100,000 boys1940-1944: 304.7 per 100,000 boys19401945-1949: 267.3 per 100,000 boys1950-1954: 248.6 per 100,000 boys1955-1959: 223.4 per 100,000 boys1960-1964: 203.1 per 100,000 boys19601965-1969: 210.2 per 100,000 boys1970-1974: 257.3 per 100,000 boys1975-1979: 334.3 per 100,000 boys1980-1984: 521.9 per 100,000 boys19801985-1989: 1,138.1 per 100,000 boys1990-1994: 1,577.5 per 100,000 boys1995-1999: 1,554.3 per 100,000 boys2000-2004: 1,347.1 per 100,000 boys20002005-2009: 1,200.3 per 100,000 boys2010-2014: 1,067 per 100,000 boys2015-2019: 863.7 per 100,000 boys2020-2024: 587 per 100,000 boys20201990-1994: about 1 in 63 boys
Show the numbers
YearsPer 100,000 boys
1925–1929502.1
1930–1934440.9
1935–1939329.2
1940–1944304.7
1945–1949267.3
1950–1954248.6
1955–1959223.4
1960–1964203.1
1965–1969210.2
1970–1974257.3
1975–1979334.3
1980–1984521.9
1985–19891,138.1
1990–19941,577.5
1995–19991,554.3
2000–20041,347.1
2005–20091,200.3
2010–20141,067
2015–2019863.7
2020–2024587

Source: Ontario Office of the Registrar General (Ontario Data Catalogue) (OGL-Ontario); BC Vital Statistics Agency (BC Data Catalogue) (OGL-BC). Dark bar: the period holding the median birth year.

Brothers and middle names for Alexander

Brother names

Names that rose and fell with Alexander, from the same generation, with no clashing sounds.

  1. 1 in 128, Ireland

  2. 1 in 197, England and Wales

  3. 1 in 1,162, England and Wales

  4. 1 in 252, England and Wales

  5. 1 in 118, England and Wales

  6. 1 in 354, England and Wales

  7. 1 in 112, Northern Ireland

  8. 1 in 224, Northern Ireland

  9. 1 in 136, Northern Ireland

  10. 1 in 290, England and Wales

All 40 brother names for Alexander

Middle names

Scored for rhythm against Alexander's 4 syllables and for long, steady use.

  1. 1 in 50, Ireland

  2. 1 in 187, England and Wales

  3. 1 in 61, Northern Ireland

  4. 1 in 103, England and Wales

  5. 1 in 118, England and Wales

  6. 1 in 105, Ireland

  7. 1 in 67, England and Wales

  8. 1 in 62, Poland

Full-name check

Alexander Jack

Syllables 4-1Initials A.J.No sound clashes between the parts.

All 40 middle names for Alexander

Sisters for Alexander: Zoe, Maya, Alice, and 5 more
  1. ZoeRose and fell with Alexander · As common as Alexander
  2. MayaRose and fell with Alexander · As common as Alexander
  3. AliceRose and fell with Alexander · Same generation as Alexander · Same initial as Alexander
  4. SophiaRose and fell with Alexander · Greek, like Alexander
  5. GeorgiaRose and fell with Alexander · Greek, like Alexander
  6. EmilyRose and fell with Alexander · Same generation as Alexander
  7. SarahRose and fell with Alexander · Same generation as Alexander
  8. GraceRose and fell with Alexander · As common as Alexander

Girls' names from the same engine, over the girls' lists of the same publishers.

Moved with Alexander

The boy names whose popularity rose and fell most like Alexander's across every region and decade we hold.

  1. Rare in France, Italy, Poland, and 13 more places.

  2. Common across France, the UK, Italy, and 25 more places.

  3. Common across the UK, Sweden, Austria, and 10 more places.

  4. Loved across England and Wales, three Canadian provinces, the Nordic countries, and 9 more places.

  5. Rare in France, Italy, Poland, and 20 more places.

  6. Rare in France, Italy, Poland, and 9 more places.

  7. Common across the UK, three Canadian provinces, Israel, and 7 more places.

  8. Common in England and Wales, the Netherlands, Sweden, and 21 more places.

Famous people named Alexander

Alexander Graham Bell, Alexander von Humboldt, and 6 more

From Wikidata, ranked by how many Wikipedia language editions have an article on them. People: Wikidata (CC0). Links go to Wikipedia in this page's language when an article exists, else English.

Questions about Alexander

How popular is Alexander in Scotland?

Alexander ranked #22 in Scotland in 2025, given to 151 boys, about 1 in 130.

Is Alexander rising in popularity?

Not overall: it is falling in more places than it is rising. Rising in 1 of the 29 regions we can compare over five years, falling in 19. Rising in: Poland.

What does Alexander mean?

Alexander means “to defend + man”, according to Wiktionary.

How many syllables does Alexander have?

Alexander has 4 syllables: al-ig-ZAN-der.

Every rank and count on this page comes from an official birth register. How these figures are computed.

Meanings, origins and people: Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0), Wikidata (CC0).

The 42 birth registers behind these figures

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Kept names collect here.

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