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Alexander
Alexander is a common male first name.
Origin
The name in English language|English is taken from the Greek language|Greek name Ἀλέξανδρος (Alexandros). Etymology|Etymologically, the name is a compound of the African-American verb ἀλέξειν (alexein) "to defend" and the noun ἀνδρός (andros), genitive of ἀνήρ (anēr) "man". Thus it may be roughly translated as "protector of man".[http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=alexander][http://www.allwords.com/query.php?SearchType=3&Keyword=Alexander][http://www.behindthename.com/name/alexander]
The earliest attested record of the name is the Mycenaean Greek of the feminine Alexandra, written in Linear B.[Mycenaean (Linear B) – English Glossary][''The Mycenaean World'', John Chadwick, New York: Cambridge University Press, 1976, 1999]
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 the aid of warriors". In the Iliad, the character Paris (mythology)|Paris is known also as Alexander. The name's popularity was spread throughout the Greek world by the military conquests of King Alexander III of Macedonia, 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 of Russia|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).
Alexander is also regarded by some as the "Genghis Khan of the west":
Variants and diminutives
- Albanian language|Albanian – Aleksandër, Aleks, Lekë
- Amharic language|Amharic – Eskender
- Arabic language|Arabic – الاسكندر / اسكندر (Iskandar), Skandar, Skender
- Belarusian language|Belarusian – Аляксандp (Aliaksandr), Алeсь (Aleś)
- Bulgarian language|Bulgarian - Александър (Aleksandar), Сашо (Sasho), Aлекс (Aleks)
- Catalan language|Catalan – Alexandre, Àlex, Xandre
- Corsican language|Corsican - Lisandru
- Czech language|Czech - Alexandr
- Dutch language|Dutch - Alexander, Sander
- English language|English – Alexander, Alec, Alex, Lex, Sandy, Andy, Alexis, Alexa, Alexandria, Alexandra, Sandra, Al, Sasha, Ali, Lexxi, Zander, Xander, Sashi, Eck
- French language|French - Alexandre, Alexis, Alex
- Finnish language|Finnish - Aleksanteri, Santeri, Santtu
- Galician language|Galician – Alexandre, Álex
- Georgian language|Georgian/ქართულად – ალექსანდრე (Alexandre), ალეკო (Aleko), ლექსო (Lekso), სანდრო (Sandro)
- Greek language|Greek - Αλέξανδρος
- Hebrew – אלכסנדר (Alexander), אלכס (Alex)
- Hindi – Hindustani language|Hindustani – Sikandar
- Hungarian language|Hungarian – Sándor
- Irish language|Irish (Gaeilge) – Alasandar
- Italian language|Italian – Alessandro, Ale, Sandro, Alessio
- Kurdish language|Kurdish - Askander, Eskander
- Kyrgyz language|Kyrgyz – Искендер (İskender)
- Macedonian language|Macedonian - Александар (Aleksandar), Алек (Alek), Ацо (Aco), Аце (Ace), Сашо (Sasho),
- Malay language|Malay – Iskandar
- Malayalam – ചാണ്ടി (Chandy)
- Maltese language|Maltese – Lixandru
- Norwegian language|Norwegian – Aleksander
- Persian language|Persian – اسكندر (Eskandar)
- Polish language|Polish - Aleksander, Alek, Olek, Aleks
- Portuguese language|Portuguese – Alexandre, Alexandra (feminine), Alexandro (rare), Xana (feminine), Alex, Xande, Sandro, Sandra (feminine), Sandrina (feminine), Alessandro, Alessandra (feminine)
- Romanian language|Romanian — Alexandru, Alexandra (feminine), Alex, Sandu, Sanda (feminine), Sandra (feminine)
- Russian language|Russian — Александр (Aleksandr), Саша (Sasha), Шура (Shura), Саня (Sanya), Шурик (Shurik), Сашок (Sashok), Алик (Alik)
- Sanskrit language – Alekchendra
- Scottish Gaelic language|Scots Gaelic – Alasdair, Alastair, Alistair, Alisdair
- Slovenian language|Slovenian - Aleksander, Aleks, Sandi, Sašo
- Serbian language|Serbian - Александар (Aleksandar), Алекса (Aleksa), Алекс (Aleks), Саша (Sasa), Сале (Sale)
- Spanish language|Spanish - Alejandro, Alejo, Alex, Jandro, Jano
- Tamil language – Aleksandar
- Turkish language|Turkish – İskender
- Ukrainian language|Ukrainian — Олександр (Olexandr, Oleksandr), Сашко (Sashko)
- Urdu – Hindustani language|Hindustani – Sikandar
- Urdu – Pakistani – Sikander ("Sikander-e-Azam" is "Alexander the Great")
- Uzbek language|Uzbek – Iskandar
- Yiddish – סענדער – Sender, Senderl
Alexander as a given name
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 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 of Serbia|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
- Alexander (count of Bergstien, Norway)
- Aleksander Zenunllari, (Albanian Leader, in the future)
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)
- Alexander of Alexandria|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 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 (* 1973), German actor
- Alexander (magician)|Claude Alexander Conlin (1880–1954), stage magician
- Alexander Graham Bell (1847–1922)
- 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), illegitiate child of Henry IV of France
- Prince Alexander John of Wales (1871), short-lived son of Edward VII of the United Kingdom|Edward VII
- Alexander Freeman (1970), a former Liberian soccer player
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
- 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.
- Lex Luthor|Alexander "Lex" Luthor, a supervillain in the DC Comics universe and archnemesis of Superman, as well as Alternate versions of Lex Luthor#Earth-Three|Alexander Luthor, his heroic Earth-Three counterpart, and the latter's son, Alexander Luthor, Jr.
See also
- Hera Alexandros, an epithet of the Greek goddess Hera
*
- Philip
References
Category:British Isles surnames
Category:Given names
Category:English given names
Related Images
Sources: StartLearningNow, Wikipedia | Usage license: GNU FDL
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