Alexander

Alexander
Alexander the Great
Gender	Male
Meaning	"holding off men"
Origin	Greek
Wikipedia articles	All pages beginning with "Alexander "

Look up Alexander in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Alexander is a common male first name.

Origin

Etymologically, the name is a compound of the Greek verb ἀλέξω (alexō) "to push back","to hold off" and the noun ἀνδρός (andros), genitive of ἀνήρ (anēr) "man". It is an example of the widespread motif of Greek (or Indo-European more generally) names expressing "battle-prowess", in this case the ability to withstand or push back an enemy battle line.

The earliest attested record of the name is the Mycenaean Greek of the feminine Alexandra, written in Linear B.^[1][2]

The name was one of the titles ("epithets") given to the Greek goddess Hera and as such is usually taken to mean "one who comes to save warriors". In the Iliad, the character Paris is known also as Alexander. The name's popularity was spread throughout the Greek world by the military conquests of King Alexander III , commonly known as "Alexander the Great". Most later Alexanders in various countries were directly or indirectly named for him.

In Russia, the name was uncommon until the time of Tsar Alexander I, due to whom it became one of the most common of Russian first names and gained a considerable number of Russian variations and abbreviations (see below).

Variants and diminutives

• Afrikaans - Alexander
• Albanian – Aleksandër, Aleks, Leka, Sandri, Skënder
• Amharic – Eskender
• Arabic – الاسكندر / اسكندر (Iskandar)
• Armenian - Ալեքսանդր (Aleksandr/Alexandr), Ալեքսան (Aleksan/Alexan), Ալեք (Aleq), Ալիկ (Alik)
• Azerbaijanian – İsgəndər (Isgandar)
• Basque - Alesander
• Belarusian – Аляксандp (Aliaksandr), Алeсь (Aleś)
• Bulgarian - Александър (Aleksandar), Сашо (Sasho), Aлекс (Aleks)
• Bangla - Sikandar Alakshendra, Iskandar, Skandar, Alekzandar
• Catalan – Alexandre, Àlex, Xandre
• Corsican - Lisandru
• Croatian - Aleksandar, Saša
• Czech - Alexandr
• Danish - Alexander, Alex, Alexandra (feminine)
• Dutch - Alexander, Alex, Lex, Sander, Xander
• Ethiopian - Eskender
• English – Alexander, Alec, Alex, Alan, Ali, Al, Lex, Sandy, Andy, Alexis, Alexa (feminine), Alexandria (feminine), Alexandra (feminine), Sandra (feminine), Sasha (feminine), Lexxi, Zandra (feminine), Zander, Xander
• Esperanto – Aleksandro, Aleksaĉjo, Aleĉjo, Aĉjo, Alekso, Aleksandra (feminine), Aleksino (feminine), Aleksanjo (feminine), Anjo (feminine)
• French - Alexandre, Alexis, Alex
• Finnish - Aleksanteri, Santeri, Santtu
• Galician – Alexandre, Álex
• Georgian/ქართულად – ალექსანდრე (Alexandré),(Aleksandre) ალეკო (Aleko), ლექსო (Lexo).
• Greek - Αλέξανδρος (Aléxandros)
• Hebrew – אלכסנדר (Alexander), אלכס (Alex)
• Hindi – Hindustani – Sikandar Alakshendra अलक्षेन्द्र
• Hungarian – Sándor
• Indonesian - Iskandar
• Icelandic - Alexander, Alex, Alexis, Axel, Alexandra (feminine)
• Irish (Gaeilge) – Alasandar
• Italian – Alessandro, Ale, Sandro, Alessio
• Japanese - Arekusu
• Korean - Alleksandeuroseu, 알렉산드로스 대왕 (Alleksandeuroseu Daewang means Alexander the Great)
• Kurdish - Askander, Eskander
• Kyrgyz – Искендер (İskender)
• Latvian – Aleksandrs (Aleksandrs)
• Latin - Alexandrus
• Lithuanian- Aleksandras
• Lombard - Lisander
• Macedonian – Александар (Aleksandar), Алек (Alek), Аце (Atse), Ацо (Atso), Сашо (Sasho)
• Malay – Iskandar
• Malayalam – ചാണ്ടി (Chandy)
• Maltese – Lixandru
• Mandarin Chinese - Yalishanda or Alishanda
• Norwegian – Aleksander
• Persian – اسكندر (Eskandar) or اسکندر گجسته (Eskandare Gojaste)
• Polish - Aleksander, Alek, Olek, Aleks
• Portuguese – Alexandre, Alexandra (feminine), Alexandro (rare), Alex, Sandro, Sandra (feminine), Sandrina (feminine), Alessandro, Alessandra (feminine)
• Romanian — Alexandru, Alexandra (feminine), Alex, Sandu, Sanda (feminine), Sandra (feminine), Alecu, Aleca (feminine), Sasa (feminine)
• Russian — Александр (Aleksandr), Александра (Aleksandra, feminine), Саша (Sasha), Сашка (Sashka), Сашок (Sashok), Сашкин (Sashkin), Шура (Shura), Шурик (Shurik), Саня (Sanya), Санька (San'ka), Санёк (Sanyok), Алик (Alik)
• Sanskrit language – Alekchendra
• Scots Gaelic – Alasdair, Alastair, Alistair, Alisdair, Aldair
• Serbian - Александар (Aleksandar), Алекса (Aleksa), Алекс (Aleks), Саша (Saša), Сале (Sale), Аца (Aca)
• Slovene - Aleksander, Aleks, Sandi, Sašo
• Spanish - Alejandro, Alejo, Alex, Jandro, Jano,, Lisandro/a, Alejandra (feminine)
• Swedish - Alexander, Alex, Alexandra (feminine)
• Tamil – Aleksandar
• Turkish – İskender
• Ukrainian — Олександр (Olexandr, Oleksandr), Сашко (Sashko), Олесь (Oles')
• Urdu – Hindustani – Sikandar
• Urdu – Pakistani – Sikander ("Sikander-e-Azam" is "Alexander the Great")
• Uzbek – Iskandar
• Welsh - Alecsander
• West Frisian -Aleksander
• Yiddish – סענדער – Sender, Senderl

Alexander as a given name

This page or section lists people that share the same given name. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change that link to point directly to the intended article.

Monarchs

Antiquity

• Alaksandu, ca. 1280 BC
• Alexander of Corinth, 10th king of Corinth (816–791 BC)
• Alexander I of Macedon
• Alexander of Pherae despot of Pherae between 369 and 358 BC
• Alexander I of Epirus king of Epirus about 342 BC
• Alexander II of Epirus king of Epirus 272 BC
• Alexander II of Macedon
• Alexander the Great (Alexander III of Macedon), King of Macedon, 356–323 BC
• Alexander IV of Macedon
• Alexander Balas, ruler of the Seleucid kingdom of Syria between 150 and 146 BC
• Alexander Jannaeus king of Judea, 103-76 BCE
• Alexander Severus, (208–235), Roman Empire
• Domitius Alexander, Roman usurper who declared himself emperor in 308

Middle Ages

• Alexander, Byzantine Emperor (912–913)
• Alexander I of Scotland (c. 1078–1124)
• Alexander II of Scotland (1198–1249)
• Alexander Nevsky (1220–1263), Grand Prince of Novgorod and Vladimir
• Alexander III of Scotland (1241–1286)
• Aleksander (1338–before 1386), prince of Podolia (son of Narymunt)
• Sikandar Butshikan, Sultan of Kashmir (1389–1413)
• Alexandru cel Bun, voivode of Moldavia (1400–1432)
• Skenderbeg (1405–1468), prince of Albania
• Alexandru I Aldea, ruler of the principality of Wallachia (1431–1436)
• Eskender, Emperor of Ethiopia (1472–1494)
• Alexander Jagiellon (Alexander of Poland) (1461–1506), king of Poland
• Alexandru Lăpuşneanu, voivode of Moldavia (1552–1561 and 1564–1568)
• Sikandar Shah Suri, Shah of Delhi (1555)
• Sikandar Lodhi, Sultan of Delhi (16th Century)

Modern

• Alexander I of Russia (1777–1825), emperor of Russia
• Sikandar Jah, Nizam of Hyderabad, (1803–1829)
• Alexander II of Russia (1818–1881), emperor of Russia
• Alexander III of Russia (1845–1894), emperor of Russia
• Alexander Karađorđević, Prince of Serbia (1842–1858)
• Alexander of Bulgaria (1857–1893), first prince of Bulgaria
• Alexander John Cuza, prince of Romania (1859–1866)
• Alexander I Obrenović of Serbia (1876–1903), king of Serbia
• Alexander, Prince of Lippe (1831–1905), prince of Lippe
• Alexander I of Yugoslavia (1888–1934), first king of Yugoslavia
• Zog I also known as Skenderbeg III, (1895–1961), king of Albanians
• Alexander of Greece (king) (1917–1920), king of Greece
• Alexander Langelaar, the 5th of Holland
• Leka, Crown Prince of Albania, (born 1939), king of Albanians (throne pretender)
• Willem-Alexander, Prince of Orange

Religious leaders

• Pope Alexander I, (pope 97–105)
• Alexander of Apamea, 5th century bishop of Apamea
• Pope Alexander II, (pope 1058–1061)
• Pope Alexander III, (pope 1164–1168)
• Pope Alexander IV, (pope 1243–1254)
• Pope Alexander V, ("Peter Philarges" ca. 1339–1410)
• Pope Alexander VI, (1493–1503), Roman pope
• Pope Alexander VII, (1599–1667)
• Pope Alexander VIII, (pope 1689–1691),
• Alexander of Constantinople, bishop of Constantinople (314–337)
• St. Alexander of Alexandria, Coptic Pope, Patriarch of Alexandria between 313 and 328
• Pope Alexander II of Alexandria, Coptic Pope (702–729)
• Alexander of Lincoln, bishop of Lincoln
• Alexander Essebiensis aka Alexander of Ashby, 13th century prior and poet
• Alexander of Jerusalem

• See also Saint Alexander, various saints with this name

Other people

• Alexander (artists), the name of a number of artists of ancient Greece, Rome and Macedon
• Alexander (3rd century BC general), commanded the cavalry under Antigonus III Doson
• Alexander of Athens, Athenian comic poet
• Alexander Lyncestes, a contemporary of Alexander the Great
• Alexander Aetolus, a poet and member of the Alexandrian Pleiad
• Alexander, son of Lysimachus, 3rd century BC Macedonian royal
• Alexander of Aetolia, briefly conquered Aegira in 220 BC
• Alexander (general), son of Polyperchon, the regent of Macedonia
• Alexander Bozhkov (1951-2009), Bulgarian politician
• Alexander Isius, 2nd century military commander of the Aetolians
• Alexander of Acarnania (d. 191 BC), confidante of Antiochus III the Great
• Alexander Lychnus, early 1st century BC poet and historian
• Alexander Jannaeus, 1st century BC king of Judea
• Alexander Polyhistor, Greek scholar of the 1st century
• Alexander of Myndus, ancient Greek writer on zoology and divination
• Alexander of Aegae, peripatetic philosopher of the 1st century
• Alexander of Judaea, son of Aristobulus II, king of Judaea
• Alexander of Cotiaeum, 2nd century Greek grammarian and tutor of Marcus Aurelius
• Alexander the Paphlagonian, 2nd century Greek imposter
• Alexander Peloplaton, Greek rhetorician of the 2nd century
• Alexander of Lycopolis, 4th century author of an early Christian treatise against Manicheans
• Alexander Beyer (born 1973), German actor
• Claude Alexander Conlin (1880–1954), stage magician
• Alexander Graham Bell (1847–1922), scientist and inventor of the telephone
• Alexander Hamilton (1755 or 1757–1804), United States founding father and first Secretary of the Treasury
• Alexander of Aphrodisias, Greek commentator and philosopher
• Alexander of Greece (rhetorician)
• Alexander of Hales, 13th-century Medieval theologian
• Alexander von Humboldt (1769-1859), a German natural scientist
• Alexander, le Pargiter, 13th-century abbot
• Alexander Pope (1688-1744), English poet
• Alexander Pushkin (1799–1837), Russian author (Germanized form of name)
• Paris (mythology) aka Alexander, the Trojan prince who kidnapped Helen
• Alexandre, Chevalier de Vendôme (1598–1629), illegitimate child of Henry IV of France
• Prince Alexander John of Wales (1871), short-lived son of Edward VII
• Alexander Freeman (born 1970), Liberian soccer player
• Alexander Kruger (born 1963), English decathlete
• Alexander Lucas, a Canadian businessman
• Alexander Artemev, American gymnast
• Alexander Rybak (born 1986) Norweigan winner of Eurovision 2009
• Alexander Dubček Slovak politician (1921-1992)
• Alexander Khalifman (1966), Russian chess Grandmaster and former FIDE world champion

A few other princes have borne the name Alexander:

• George V of Hanover (1819–1878)
• Prince Alfred of Edinburgh and Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (1874–1899)
• Prince George, Duke of Kent (1902–1942)
• Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester (1944–)]

Alexander as a surname

• see Alexander (surname)

Fictional people with the name Alexander

• Hamish Alexander, a character in David Weber's Honorverse
• Alexander DeLarge, the main character and the anti-hero from the novel A Clockwork Orange and it's film adaptation.
• Xander Harris, one of the main characters of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer franchise.
• Lyta Alexander, a Telepath in the Science fiction TV-series Babylon 5
• Alexander (Summons), a summoned avatar from the Final Fantasy series of games. He is one of the terrestrial avatars in Final Fantasy XI.
• Alexander Anderson, a regenerative warrior-priest from the Hellsing series
• Alexander "Lex" Luthor, a supervillain in the DC Comics universe and archnemesis of Superman, as well as Alexander Luthor, his heroic Earth-Three counterpart, and the latter's son, Alexander Luthor, Jr.
• Alexandre Fabbri, a character from Krzysztof Kieślowski's film The Double Life of Véronique
• Alexander "Alex" Karev is one of the main characters on the show Grey's Anatomy.
• Alexander Rozhenko is Worf's son in Star Trek: The Next Generation.

See also

• All pages beginning with "Alexander"
• Hera Alexandros, an epithet of the Greek goddess Hera
• Philip

References