Zander
- Gender
- Boy
- Say it
- ZAN-der
- Origin
- Greek
- UK rank, 2025
- #718 for boys
- US rank, 2025
- #396 for boys
- Style
- Big in Scotland
Zander is a boys' name of Greek origin, meaning “defender of men”. In 2025 it ranked 718th for boys in the UK (54 babies) and 396th for boys in the US (804 babies).
What does Zander mean?
Greek: short form of Alexander
“defender of men”
A short form of Alexander, like Dutch and German Sander; zander is also the name of a freshwater fish.
More on Wiktionary.
Is Zander a girl's or a boy's name?
Zander is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 54 boys in the UK and 804 boys in the US. Too few girls were given it to be listed.
How popular is Zander in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- 718th among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 54 about 1 in 5,600 boys
- Five-year trend
- Steady down 2% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1% chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 54 boys in the UK were named Zander, making it the 718th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 594th. Its busiest year was 2023, with 101 boys.
2025 had fewer boys named Zander than any year since 2010.
Half of all the boys named Zander in the UK since 1996 were born between 2011 and 2021, the years shaded on the chart below.
In 2025, 298 boys in the UK were given Zander or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #199, up from #718 for this spelling alone.
- Xander 244
- Zander 54
Among boys in 2025, it was 934th in England and Wales, 226th in Scotland and 395th in Northern Ireland.
Zander in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 54 | #718 |
| 2024 | 83 | #526 |
| 2023 | 101 | #441 |
| 2022 | 76 | #562 |
| 2021 | 97 | #474 |
| 2020 | 69 | #594 |
| 2019 | 90 | #498 |
| 2018 | 83 | #523 |
| 2017 | 99 | #466 |
| 2016 | 70 | #594 |
| 2015 | 89 | #497 |
| 2014 | 80 | #539 |
| 2013 | 98 | #457 |
| 2012 | 58 | #658 |
| 2011 | 60 | #635 |
| 2010 | 54 | #658 |
| 2009 | 52 | #672 |
| 2008 | 42 | #766 |
| 2007 | 53 | #629 |
| 2006 | 43 | #695 |
| 2005 | 44 | #658 |
| 2004 | 28 | #836 |
| 2003 | 26 | #862 |
| 2002 | 16 | #1,109 |
| 2001 | 12 | #1,283 |
| 2000 | 1 | #4,018 |
| 1999 | 4 | #2,513 |
| 1998 | 1 | #3,884 |
| 1997 | 1 | #3,857 |
| 1996 | 1 | #3,776 |
How popular is Zander in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- 396th among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 804 about 1 in 2,100 boys
- Five-year trend
- Falling down 33% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1% chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 804 boys in the US were named Zander, making it the 396th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 280th. Its busiest year was 2013, with 1,600 boys. It first appears in the records in 1915.
It has been given to fewer boys each year for the last 8 years. 2025 had fewer boys named Zander than any year since 2002.
Half of all the boys named Zander in the US since 1880 were born between 2008 and 2019, the years shaded on the chart below.
In 2025, 2,164 boys in the US were given Zander or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #187, up from #396 for this spelling alone.
Zander in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 804 | #396 |
| 2024 | 870 | #374 |
| 2023 | 927 | #355 |
| 2022 | 1,088 | #309 |
| 2021 | 1,152 | #293 |
| 2020 | 1,195 | #280 |
| 2019 | 1,297 | #276 |
| 2018 | 1,400 | #259 |
| 2017 | 1,563 | #237 |
| 2016 | 1,394 | #260 |
| 2015 | 1,470 | #249 |
| 2014 | 1,524 | #246 |
| 2013 | 1,600 | #230 |
| 2012 | 1,471 | #246 |
| 2011 | 1,308 | #265 |
| 2010 | 1,119 | #294 |
| 2009 | 1,147 | #287 |
| 2008 | 1,120 | #297 |
| 2007 | 1,052 | #313 |
| 2006 | 1,081 | #305 |
| 2005 | 911 | #333 |
| 2004 | 1,141 | #279 |
| 2003 | 957 | #312 |
| 2002 | 420 | #533 |
| 2001 | 274 | #664 |
| 2000 | 150 | #984 |
| 1999 | 109 | #1,179 |
| 1998 | 79 | #1,433 |
| 1997 | 32 | #2,498 |
| 1996 | 18 | #3,672 |
| 1995 | 12 | #4,785 |
| 1994 | 8 | #6,366 |
| 1993 | 11 | #4,995 |
| 1992 | 9 | #5,652 |
| 1991 | 5 | #8,228 |
| 1990 | 5 | #8,108 |
| 1989 | 0 | – |
| 1988 | 7 | #5,745 |
| 1987 | 5 | #6,945 |
| 1986 | 0 | – |
| 1985 | 0 | – |
| 1984 | 0 | – |
| 1983 | 0 | – |
| 1982 | 0 | – |
| 1981 | 0 | – |
| 1980 | 0 | – |
| 1979 | 0 | – |
| 1978 | 0 | – |
| 1977 | 0 | – |
| 1976 | 0 | – |
| 1975 | 0 | – |
| 1974 | 0 | – |
| 1973 | 0 | – |
| 1972 | 0 | – |
| 1971 | 0 | – |
| 1970 | 0 | – |
| 1969 | 0 | – |
| 1968 | 0 | – |
| 1967 | 0 | – |
| 1966 | 0 | – |
| 1965 | 0 | – |
| 1964 | 0 | – |
| 1963 | 0 | – |
| 1962 | 0 | – |
| 1961 | 0 | – |
| 1960 | 0 | – |
| 1959 | 0 | – |
| 1958 | 0 | – |
| 1957 | 0 | – |
| 1956 | 0 | – |
| 1955 | 0 | – |
| 1954 | 0 | – |
| 1953 | 0 | – |
| 1952 | 0 | – |
| 1951 | 0 | – |
| 1950 | 0 | – |
| 1949 | 0 | – |
| 1948 | 0 | – |
| 1947 | 0 | – |
| 1946 | 0 | – |
| 1945 | 0 | – |
| 1944 | 0 | – |
| 1943 | 0 | – |
| 1942 | 0 | – |
| 1941 | 0 | – |
| 1940 | 0 | – |
| 1939 | 0 | – |
| 1938 | 0 | – |
| 1937 | 0 | – |
| 1936 | 0 | – |
| 1935 | 0 | – |
| 1934 | 6 | #3,275 |
| 1933 | 0 | – |
| 1932 | 0 | – |
| 1931 | 0 | – |
| 1930 | 0 | – |
| 1929 | 0 | – |
| 1928 | 0 | – |
| 1927 | 0 | – |
| 1926 | 0 | – |
| 1925 | 0 | – |
| 1924 | 0 | – |
| 1923 | 0 | – |
| 1922 | 0 | – |
| 1921 | 0 | – |
| 1920 | 0 | – |
| 1919 | 0 | – |
| 1918 | 0 | – |
| 1917 | 0 | – |
| 1916 | 0 | – |
| 1915 | 9 | #2,620 |
Names like Zander
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Luca, Cooper, Carter, Asher, River, Hunter, Archer, Lucas, Parker, Nico, Theo, Zion
Other spellings of Zander
Names related to Zander
More Greek names
Theodore, Sophia, George, Sofia, Alexander, Sebastian, Penelope, Phoebe, Margot, Luke, Chloe, Sophie, Zoe, Iris, Maisie, Lainey
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, “Zander: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/zander, updated 20 October 2026.