Alexander
- Gender
- Boy
- Say it
- al-ig-ZAHN-der
- Origin
- Greek
- UK rank, 2025
- #34 for boys
- US rank, 2025
- #30 for boys
Timeless
Alexander is a boys' name of Greek origin, meaning “defender of men”. In 2025 it ranked 34th for boys in the UK (1,464 babies) and 30th for boys in the US (7,230 babies).
What does Alexander mean?
Greek
“defender of men”
Made famous by Alexander the Great (356-323 BC); Scotland had three medieval kings of this name.
More on Wiktionary.
Is Alexander a girl's or a boy's name?
Alexander is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 1,464 boys in the UK and 14 girls and 7,230 boys in the US.
How popular is Alexander in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #34among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 1,464about 1 in 200 boys
- Five-year trend
- Fallingdown 38% in five years
- Same name in a class
- 6.6%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 1,464 boys in the UK were named Alexander, making it the 34th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 25th. Its busiest year was 1996, with 5,132 boys.
It has been given to fewer boys each year for the last 11 years. 2025 had the fewest boys named Alexander since the records began in 1996.
Half of all the boys named Alexander in the UK since 1996 were born between 2001 and 2015. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier boys aren't counted.
Among boys in 2025, it was 40th in England and Wales, 22nd in Scotland and 48th in Northern Ireland.
In the England and Wales top 100 for boys, which the ONS has published every ten years since 1904: 1904 (#42), 1914 (#53), 1924 (#54), 1934 (#66), 1944 (#66), 1954 (#71), 1964 (#77), 1974 (#43), 1984 (#25), 1994 (#13), 2004 (#20), 2014 (#22) and 2024 (#36).
Alexander in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,464 | #34 |
| 2024 | 1,624 | #30 |
| 2023 | 1,705 | #30 |
| 2022 | 1,934 | #27 |
| 2021 | 2,139 | #24 |
| 2020 | 2,214 | #25 |
| 2019 | 2,658 | #22 |
| 2018 | 2,893 | #21 |
| 2017 | 2,895 | #21 |
| 2016 | 2,937 | #20 |
| 2015 | 3,171 | #20 |
| 2014 | 3,379 | #19 |
| 2013 | 3,218 | #23 |
| 2012 | 3,229 | #24 |
| 2011 | 3,224 | #21 |
| 2010 | 3,421 | #18 |
| 2009 | 3,404 | #19 |
| 2008 | 3,637 | #18 |
| 2007 | 3,484 | #24 |
| 2006 | 3,415 | #23 |
| 2005 | 3,379 | #23 |
| 2004 | 3,513 | #22 |
| 2003 | 3,595 | #20 |
| 2002 | 3,742 | #21 |
| 2001 | 3,659 | #20 |
| 2000 | 3,852 | #21 |
| 1999 | 4,271 | #21 |
| 1998 | 4,820 | #18 |
| 1997 | 5,035 | #15 |
| 1996 | 5,132 | #14 |
How popular is Alexander in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #30among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 7,230about 1 in 240 boys
- Five-year trend
- Fallingdown 33% in five years
- Same name in a class
- 5.8%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 7,230 boys in the US were named Alexander, making it the 30th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 10th. Its busiest year was 1993, with 20,530 boys. 14 girls were also named Alexander in 2025 (7,489th for girls).
It has been given to fewer boys each year for the last 11 years. 2025 had fewer boys named Alexander than any year since 1984.
Half of all the boys named Alexander in the US since 1880 were born between 1990 and 2010, the years shaded on the chart below.
Alexander in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 7,230 | #30 |
| 2024 | 7,547 | #27 |
| 2023 | 7,918 | #22 |
| 2022 | 8,757 | #17 |
| 2021 | 9,425 | #13 |
| 2020 | 10,268 | #10 |
| 2019 | 11,327 | #10 |
| 2018 | 12,110 | #11 |
| 2017 | 12,577 | #13 |
| 2016 | 13,446 | #11 |
| 2015 | 14,584 | #8 |
| 2014 | 15,449 | #8 |
| 2013 | 14,923 | #8 |
| 2012 | 15,259 | #9 |
| 2011 | 15,717 | #8 |
| 2010 | 16,769 | #6 |
| 2009 | 18,254 | #4 |
| 2008 | 18,711 | #6 |
| 2007 | 18,150 | #11 |
| 2006 | 18,235 | #12 |
| 2005 | 18,130 | #13 |
| 2004 | 17,925 | #15 |
| 2003 | 17,714 | #16 |
| 2002 | 17,718 | #15 |
| 2001 | 16,720 | #20 |
| 2000 | 17,290 | #20 |
| 1999 | 17,420 | #21 |
| 1998 | 17,466 | #22 |
| 1997 | 17,112 | #22 |
| 1996 | 17,964 | #22 |
| 1995 | 19,456 | #21 |
| 1994 | 20,101 | #22 |
| 1993 | 20,530 | #21 |
| 1992 | 20,069 | #23 |
| 1991 | 17,640 | #26 |
| 1990 | 16,194 | #28 |
| 1989 | 14,523 | #32 |
| 1988 | 13,341 | #34 |
| 1987 | 11,835 | #37 |
| 1986 | 10,609 | #41 |
| 1985 | 8,295 | #50 |
| 1984 | 6,492 | #54 |
| 1983 | 4,806 | #63 |
| 1982 | 4,593 | #65 |
| 1981 | 4,237 | #70 |
| 1980 | 3,279 | #91 |
| 1979 | 3,058 | #94 |
| 1978 | 2,738 | #98 |
| 1977 | 2,704 | #96 |
| 1976 | 2,443 | #107 |
| 1975 | 2,439 | #105 |
| 1974 | 2,354 | #112 |
| 1973 | 2,259 | #116 |
| 1972 | 2,116 | #129 |
| 1971 | 2,358 | #134 |
| 1970 | 2,463 | #137 |
| 1969 | 2,012 | #150 |
| 1968 | 1,773 | #154 |
| 1967 | 1,454 | #178 |
| 1966 | 1,368 | #182 |
| 1965 | 1,321 | #191 |
| 1964 | 1,288 | #212 |
| 1963 | 1,308 | #214 |
| 1962 | 1,218 | #221 |
| 1961 | 1,227 | #223 |
| 1960 | 1,199 | #232 |
| 1959 | 1,166 | #233 |
| 1958 | 1,188 | #220 |
| 1957 | 1,264 | #212 |
| 1956 | 1,235 | #211 |
| 1955 | 1,170 | #208 |
| 1954 | 1,236 | #200 |
| 1953 | 1,262 | #195 |
| 1952 | 1,283 | #186 |
| 1951 | 1,212 | #190 |
| 1950 | 1,164 | #189 |
| 1949 | 1,185 | #180 |
| 1948 | 1,129 | #183 |
| 1947 | 1,081 | #190 |
| 1946 | 964 | #188 |
| 1945 | 891 | #178 |
| 1944 | 864 | #183 |
| 1943 | 924 | #178 |
| 1942 | 861 | #184 |
| 1941 | 818 | #184 |
| 1940 | 760 | #188 |
| 1939 | 723 | #186 |
| 1938 | 666 | #193 |
| 1937 | 675 | #191 |
| 1936 | 613 | #200 |
| 1935 | 702 | #186 |
| 1934 | 616 | #200 |
| 1933 | 659 | #187 |
| 1932 | 774 | #178 |
| 1931 | 795 | #172 |
| 1930 | 872 | #168 |
| 1929 | 985 | #156 |
| 1928 | 1,048 | #152 |
| 1927 | 1,092 | #146 |
| 1926 | 1,150 | #146 |
| 1925 | 1,224 | #137 |
| 1924 | 1,381 | #129 |
| 1923 | 1,293 | #129 |
| 1922 | 1,359 | #125 |
| 1921 | 1,533 | #116 |
| 1920 | 1,474 | #117 |
| 1919 | 1,422 | #113 |
| 1918 | 1,591 | #104 |
| 1917 | 1,664 | #97 |
| 1916 | 1,584 | #99 |
| 1915 | 1,432 | #103 |
| 1914 | 1,169 | #98 |
| 1913 | 937 | #98 |
| 1912 | 803 | #97 |
| 1911 | 426 | #94 |
| 1910 | 324 | #101 |
| 1909 | 255 | #107 |
| 1908 | 246 | #104 |
| 1907 | 279 | #92 |
| 1906 | 204 | #105 |
| 1905 | 210 | #103 |
| 1904 | 203 | #103 |
| 1903 | 195 | #100 |
| 1902 | 216 | #93 |
| 1901 | 162 | #102 |
| 1900 | 260 | #93 |
| 1899 | 178 | #97 |
| 1898 | 180 | #106 |
| 1897 | 172 | #103 |
| 1896 | 232 | #87 |
| 1895 | 199 | #97 |
| 1894 | 199 | #95 |
| 1893 | 218 | #83 |
| 1892 | 202 | #95 |
| 1891 | 172 | #95 |
| 1890 | 202 | #85 |
| 1889 | 185 | #93 |
| 1888 | 237 | #82 |
| 1887 | 180 | #87 |
| 1886 | 206 | #83 |
| 1885 | 205 | #78 |
| 1884 | 236 | #76 |
| 1883 | 187 | #80 |
| 1882 | 225 | #79 |
| 1881 | 209 | #71 |
| 1880 | 211 | #73 |
Nicknames for Alexander
Names like Alexander
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Adam Benjamin Joshua Luke Samuel Jacob Nathan Christopher Alex Daniel Oliver Matthew
Other spellings of Alexander
Names related to Alexander
Aleksander Alexandru Alexandre Aleksandar Aleksandr Alexandr Alexandro Alexzander Alekzander Aleczander
More Greek names
Luca Theodore Sophia George Theo Lucas Sofia Sebastian Penelope Phoebe Margot Chloe Sophie Zoe Iris Maisie
Sources
Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Alexander: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/alexander, updated 20 October 2026.