Alexander
Meaningdefender of men · Greek
- US rank
- #30
- Syllables
- 4
- Peak
- #4 in 2009
7,230 babies were named Alexander in the US in 2025. It has dropped 20 places in five years.
Found on lists
Save adds it to your list. Vote moves it up the top voted names.
US births per million boys, 1880–2025
Most popular states (2025)
Similar names
Popularity: U.S. Social Security Administration (babies with 5+ births per year).
Did you know?
A few things about Alexander you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.
Famous Alexander
Alexander Pope
English poet (1688–1744)
Choose Alexander and your child shares a first name with Alexander Pope, an English poet. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Alexander, like who?” Alexander Pope's Wikipedia article is available in 122 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.
Read about Alexander Pope on Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)Photo: Michael Dahl, Public domain (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons
- How commonAbout 1 in every 236 baby boys born in the US in 2025 was named Alexander, 7,230 babies in all. In a school of 500 kids, there'd probably be one other Alexander.
- HistoryAlexander has been in use since at least 1880, the first year US birth records were kept. That's 145 years of Alexanders, and counting.
- Best yearIt was far more popular in 2009, when it ranked #4. Today it's #30, so it could be due a comeback.
- Then vs nowAlexander was 2.1× more common in 2000 than it is today. In 2000 it was given to about 1 in 114 baby boys; in 2025, about 1 in 236.
- TrendAlexander has slipped 20 places over the last five years and now sits at #30. Good news if you want a familiar name that fewer kids will share.
- Where it's lovedAlexander is most popular in California, where it ranks #16, followed by New Jersey (#18) and Arizona (#19). It makes the top 1,000 in almost every state.
- MeaningIn Greek, Alexander means “defender of men”.
- OriginAlexander is the #8 most popular Latin boy name in the US. That's out of 2,242 Latin boy and unisex names in our list.
About the name Alexander
Alexander is a boy name of Latin origin meaning “defender of men”. It has 9 letters and 4 syllables, starting with A and ending in “-der”. US birth records list Alexander for boys from 1880 to 2025, in 146 of those 146 years. Its best year was 2009, when it ranked #4 among boy names. In 2025 it ranked #30, with 7,230 babies.
Origin:Latin names
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 1,898 | 527 boys |
| 1890s | 1,714 | 583 boys |
| 1900s | 1,640 | 610 boys |
| 1910s | 1,732 | 577 boys |
| 1920s | 1,139 | 878 boys |
| 1930s | 671 | 1,490 boys |
| 1940s | 638 | 1,566 boys |
| 1950s | 604 | 1,655 boys |
| 1960s | 748 | 1,338 boys |
| 1970s | 1,512 | 661 boys |
| 1980s | 4,383 | 228 boys |
| 1990s | 9,453 | 106 boys |
| 2000s | 8,960 | 112 boys |
| 2010s | 7,546 | 133 boys |
| 2020s | 4,932 | 203 boys |
Other spellings of Alexander
More Latin boy names
- Boy name: Oliver · olive tree
- Boy name: Theodore · gift of God
- Boy name: Lucas · man from Lucania
- Unisex name: Elias · my God is Yahweh
- Unisex name: Luca · man from Lucania
- Boy name: Sebastian · venerable
- Boy name: Leo · lion
- Unisex name: Bennett · blessed
Questions about the name Alexander
What does the name Alexander mean?
Alexander means “defender of men” in Greek.
What is the origin of the name Alexander?
Alexander has Latin roots in our records. Other Latin names include Oliver, Theodore, Lucas.
Is Alexander a boy or girl name?
Alexander is a boy name, though a few girls get it too.
How popular is the name Alexander?
Alexander ranked #30 for US boys in 2025, given to 7,230 babies. Its best year was 2009 (#4).