Alexander is a boy name with a modern feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Alexander means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Alexander across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Alexander has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Alexander is a boy name of Greek origin meaning “defender of the people”. borne by Alexander the Great.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 740,668 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 84,966 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 15,224 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 1,729 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 5,357 births |
| New Zealand top 100, since 1954 | 8,460 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Alexander per year, United States (1880 to 2025). United States peaked in 1993 (20,708/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 1996 (4,840/yr) · Scotland peaked in 1975 (370/yr) · Ireland peaked in 2014 (211/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 2014 (92/yr).
Alexander has been one of the most popular baby names in the United States. It was most common in 1993, when it ranked #29 nationally (given to 21,081 babies that year), and a popular choice in the 1990s.
Alexandra · Alexandria · Alexandrea · Alexandr · Alexandro · Alexandre · Aleksander · Aleksandra
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