Declining since 1994, #30 for boys today.
Popularity of Alexander since 1880
Babies named Alexander per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Boys |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 2,081 |
| 1890s | 1,954 |
| 1900s | 2,230 |
| 1910s | 11,352 |
| 1920s | 12,539 |
| 1930s | 7,095 |
| 1940s | 9,477 |
| 1950s | 12,180 |
| 1960s | 14,168 |
| 1970s | 24,932 |
| 1980s | 82,010 |
| 1990s | 183,952 |
| 2000s | 178,847 |
| 2010s | 142,161 |
| 2020s | 51,145 |
Meaning & origin
Alexander has been conquering name charts for roughly 2,300 years, and the American data show a name that wins by endurance. Its modern US peak came in 1993; the slide since 1994 has been so gradual that in 2025 it still ranked No. 30, with about one in every 236 boys receiving it.
The name's reach is hard to overstate. Homer used Alexandros for Paris of Troy, Alexander the Great pushed it from Greece to India, where Iskander survives as its eastern form, and it went on to serve Scottish kings, Russian tsars, and an American founding father whose Broadway afterlife gave the name yet another bump of cultural presence.
Its current strongholds are Alaska, the District of Columbia, and Wyoming, about as unregional a trio as the map allows, which fits a name with no single ethnic or stylistic lane. Between Alex, Xander, and Sasha, it remains one of the best nickname investments in the book.
Alexandros is ancient even by Greek standards: it appears in the Iliad as an alternative name for Paris of Troy, and a similar name, Alaksandu, is recorded in Hittite documents of the thirteenth century BC, leading some scholars to suspect the Greek form reworks an older Anatolian name. The conventional reading is 'defender of men,' from alexein ('to ward off, defend') and aner ('man'). Alexander the Great scattered the name from Egypt to India, Iskander remains its form across the Middle East and Central Asia, and it later served three medieval kings of Scotland and a line of Russian tsars. In America it has been a fixture of the top tier for decades, peaking in 1993.
Read more: Alexander on Wikipedia
Where Alexander is most popular
Births per 100,000 boys by state. Press play or drag the slider to watch it move across the decades. The lightest shade means too few recorded births.
“Alexander” around the world
Where Alexander lands in the latest official birth statistics abroad, matched to the U.S. spelling.
France
50
babies in 2024
Ireland
#55
in 2025
New Zealand
#41
in 2025
Quebec
37
babies in 2025
Australia (NSW)
#22
in 2025
Sources: INSEE (France) · CSO Ireland (Ireland) · NZ Dept of Internal Affairs (New Zealand) · Retraite Québec (Quebec) · NSW Registry of BDM (Australia (NSW)).
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Alex, Xander, Sasha, Lex, Al
Variants: Alejandro, Alessandro, Alexandre, Aleksandr, Iskander
Famous people named Alexander
- Alexander the Great · Macedonian king who built an empire from Greece to India
- Alexander Hamilton · founding father and first US treasury secretary
- Alexander Graham Bell · inventor credited with patenting the telephone
Sibling names for Alexander
Names that share Alexander's style, for a brother or sister.
Sisters: Victoria, Sophia, Anastasia, Juliana, Katherine, Isabella, Adriana, Alexa, Alexandra, Alexandria, Angelica, Arianna, Cassandra, Clarissa, Helena, Jacqueline, Kathryn, Lilliana, Tatiana, Vanessa, Alethea, Anabella, Annabella, Annastasia, Berenice, Camilla, Casandra, Christiana, Christianna, Demetra, Demetria, Eleni, Julianna, Karolina, Katerina, Katina, Lillianna, Marjory, Nathaly, Stephania, Tatianna, Tatyana, Adalina, Alexcia, Alexius, Alexsandra, Alexzandra, Alexzandria, Anabell, Analiese, Anastacia, Angelika, Calandra, Camillia, Carolin, Christena, Cleopatra, Darya, Elizabet, Elizebeth, Emili, Hermione, Isobel, Issabella, Izabela, Julieanne, Karoline, Katherin, Krystina, Lillyana, Madelaine, Madelynne, Olympia, Stefany, Tatiyana, Tatyanna, Valeri, Viktoria, Alexanderia, Alexiana, Alisandra, Alissandra, Alyssandra, Alyxandra, Ameliana, Anastazia, Angelicia, Annalicia, Apollonia, Aurianna, Betzabeth, Carolena, Catherina, Charlotta, Demitra, Demitria, Electra, Ellanor, Elyzabeth, Emmily, Estefanie, Evangelyn, Ezabella, Gabrianna, Jenavieve, Jennett, Katerin, Katerine, Katryna, Khristina, Liseth, Madalyne, Nikolette, Pennelope, Reigna, Samanthia, Victorya, Xandra, Yennifer, Yoanna, Yoseline, Abbegail, Adamarys, Aleksia, Alexianna, Alexina, Alexsia, Alexzandrea, Alysandra, Anaalicia, Analysa, Anasophia, Anastasha, Anastashia, Annalissa, Annalysia, Annalyssa, Annastacia, Antonya, Bellarose, Chrisandra, Danyela, Dianah, Elizaveta, Elysabeth, Gabbrielle, Jacquelynne, Jeorgia, Jeweliana, Juliani, Julionna, Julliana, Julyana, Karolyne, Kathalina, Katherina, Kathrina, Liliya, Lillias, Madelein, Mishel, Natalyah, Nathalya, Sophiamarie, Stephana, Vicktoria, Alexsandria, Allecia, Alyscia, Angalina, Arabela, Estefanny, Halayna, Adabella, Alexandera, Alexandrya, Alexea, Alexias, Alezandra, Alisabeth, Alixandrea, Alyssabeth, Amelianna, Amilliana, Anastaisa, Anatasia, Anjelika, Anyelin, Anyelina, Avangelina, Caterin, Charlissa, Demetress, Elisabella, Elizabella, Emiliya, Isbella, Isobella, Jaquelinne, Jennavie, Jewelianna, Julianah, Jullianna, Julyanna, Katherinne, Lexandra, Lillieanna, Mariyana, Marybella, Natacia, Natelie, Nathasha, Sarabella, Secilia, Vasilia, Victora, Victoriah, Vyctoria
Brothers: Nicholas, Benjamin, Sebastian, Theodore, Nathaniel, William, Marcus, Maxwell, Nikolas, Stefan, Aleczander, Cristopher, Demetri, Demetrious, Demetrius, Hamilton, Leonidas, Maxim, Maximilian, Maximillian, Napoleon, Nathen, Nickolas, Stewart, Alexavier, Christofer, Demetrios, Demetris, Jamieson, Markanthony, Nicklaus, Nickolaus, Willian, Bejamin, Chrisopher, Christien, Christoffer, Christophor, Chrystopher, Demetre, Demetruis, Dimitrius, Domanic, Frederik, Konstantin, Konstantine, Kristofor, Leonid, Maxamillion, Maximillion, Nicolaus, Philipp, Sebastain, Sebastion, Alexande, Aristotle, Cebastian, Constantin, Demetreus, Demetrie, Dougles, Khristopher, Kyrillos, Leonides, Mattheus, Maxmillian, Napolean, Niccolas, Nichalas, Nikolos, Nykolas, Sabastion, Vasilis, Willliam, Demetrias, Maxamillian, Philopater, Andrewjames, Christphor, Krystofer, Lexander, Maxmilian, Nicholaos, Nicholous, Nickalous, Nikholas, Nikolaj, Nikolus, Sebasthian, Thoams
Names like Alexander
Names whose popularity has moved with Alexander's over the last 50 years.
