Alexander is a common male first name. [edit] 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). [edit] Variants and diminutives - Afrikaans - Alexander
- Albanian – Aleksandër, Aleks, Leka, Sandri, Skënder
- Amharic – Eskender
- Arabic – الاسكندر / اسكندر (Iskandar)
- Aragonese - Alexandre, Alixandre
- Armenian - Ալեքսանդր (Aleksandr/Alexandr), Ալեքսան (Aleksan/Alexan), Ալեք (Aleq), Ալիկ (Alik)
- Asturian - Alexandru
- Azerbaijani – İsgəndər (Isgandar)
- Bangla - Sikandar Alakshendra, Iskandar, Skandar, Alekzandar
- Bashkir - Искәндәр (Iskәndәr)
- Basque - Alesander
- Belarusian – Аляксандp (Aliaksandr, in normative spelling), Аляксандаp (Alaksandar, in "tarashkevitsa" spelling), Алeсь (Aleś)
- Bosnian - Aleksandar
- Bulgarian - Александър (Aleksandar), Сашо (Sasho), Aлекс (Aleks)
- Catalan – Alexandre, Àlex, Xandre
- Chinese – 亞歷山大
- Corsican - Lisandru
- Croatian - Aleksandar, Saša
- Czech - Alexandr
- Danish - Alexander, Alex, Alexandra (feminine)
- Dutch - Alexander, Alex, Lex, Sander, Xander
- Estonian - Aleksander
- Ethiopian - Eskender
- English – Alexander, Alec, Alex, Alan, Ali, Al, Andy, Alexis, Alexa (feminine), Alexandria (feminine), Alexandra (feminine), Lex, Lexxi, Sandra (feminine), Sandy, Sasha (feminine), Xander, Zandra (feminine), Zander
- Esperanto – Aleksandro, Aleksaĉjo, Aleĉjo, Aĉjo, Alekso, Aleksandra (feminine), Aleksino (feminine), Aleksanjo (feminine), Anjo (feminine)
- Extrumaduran - Alejandru
- Faroese - Aleksandur
- French - Alexandre, Alexis, Alex
- Finnish - Aleksanteri, Santeri, Santtu
- Galician – Alexandre, Álex
- Georgian/ქართულად – ალექსანდრე (Alexandré),(Aleksandre) ალეკო (Aleko), ლექსო (Lexo).
- German - Alexander, Alex, Alexandrine (feminine),Alexandra (female), Sascha, Sander
- Greek - Αλέξανδρος (Aléxandros)
- Hebrew – אלכסנדר (Alexander), אלכס (Alex)
- Hindi – Hindustani – Sikandar Alakshendra अलक्षेन्द्र
- Hungarian – Sándor
- Indonesian - Iskandar
- Icelandic - Alexander, Alex, Alexis, Axel, Alexandra (feminine)
- Interlingua - Alexandro
- Irish (Gaeilge) – Alasandar, Alastar, Alsander
- Italian – Alessandro, Ale, Sandro, Alessio
- Japanese - アレクス (Arekusu)
- Korean - Alleksandeuroseu, 알렉산드로스 대왕 (Alleksandeuroseu Daewang means Alexander the Great)
- Kurdish - Askander, Eskander, Îskenderê
- 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
- Mirandese - Alxandre
- Norwegian – Aleksander
- Occiadental - Alexandro
- 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)
- Sicilian - Alissandru
- Old Church Slavonic - Алєѯандръ (Aleksandr, Alexandr)
- 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
- Venetian - Alessandro
- Welsh - Alecsander
- West Frisian -Aleksander
- Yiddish – סענדער – Sender, Senderl
[edit] Alexander as a given name [edit] Antiquity [edit] Middle Ages [edit] Modern - Alexander I of Russia (1777–1825), emperor of Russia
- 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
- Leka, Crown Prince of Albania, (born 1939), king of Albanians (throne pretender)
- Willem-Alexander, Prince of Orange
[edit] 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 of Jerusalem
[edit] 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 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 of Aphrodisias, Greek commentator and philosopher
- Alexander of Greece (rhetorician)
- Alexander of Hales, 13th-century Medieval theologian
- Paris (mythology) aka Alexander, the Trojan prince who kidnapped Helen
- Prince Alexander John of Wales (1871), short-lived son of Edward VII
- Prince Alexander of Belgium (1942-2009)
Several other princes have borne the name Alexander: [edit] Fictional people with the name Alexander [edit] See also [edit] References | Slavic geographic names derived from or related to the name Alexander | | | | | |
