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Alexander

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This article is about the male first name. For other uses, see Alexander (disambiguation).
"Aleksander" redirects here. For the Hasidic dynasty, see Aleksander (Hasidic dynasty).
Alexander
Istanbul - Museo archeol. - Alessandro Magno (firmata Menas) - sec. III a.C. - da Magnesia - Foto G. Dall'Orto 28-5-2006 b-n.jpg
Statue of Alexander III "The Great" of Macedon, the best-known bearer of the name, whose fame popularized the name's use throughout Europe and Asia
Pronunciation/ˈælɪɡˈzændər/
Ancient Greek: [aléksandros]
Modern Greek: [aˈleksanðros]
Czech: [ˈalɛksandr]
German: [ˌalɛˈksandɐ]
Polish: [alεˈksandεr]
Russian: [ɐlʲɪkˈsandr]
Serbo-Croatian: [aleksǎːndar, alěksaːn-]
Swedish: [alɛkˈsǎnːdɛr]
GenderMasculine, the feminine form being Alexandra
Name dayAugust 30
Origin
Word/nameVia Latin Alexander, originally from the Greek Ἀλέξανδρος (Aléxandros), from αλέξειν aléxein meaning "to ward off, keep off, turn away, defend, protect" and ἀνδρός andrós, genitive of ἀνήρ anḗr meaning "man".
Meaning"Defender, protector of man"
Other names
Related namesAlex, Ander, Alexandre, Alexandru, Alessandro, Alejandro, Lex, Sander, Sasha, Xander

Alexander is a male given name. The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Great, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia who created one of the largest empires in ancient history.[1]

Etymology

The name Alexander is derived from the Greek: Ἀλέξανδρος (Aléxandros; 'Defender of the people', 'Defending men',[2] or 'Protector of men'). It is a compound of the verb ἀλέξειν (aléxein; 'to ward off, avert, defend')[3] and the noun ἀνήρ (anḗr, genitive: ἀνδρός, andrós; meaning 'man').[4] It is an example of the widespread motif of Greek names expressing "battle-prowess", in this case the ability to withstand or push back an enemy battle line.

The earliest attested form of the name is the Mycenaean Greek feminine anthroponym ������������, a-re-ka-sa-da-ra, (/Alexandra/), written in the Linear B syllabic script.[5][6][7] Alaksandu, alternatively called Alakasandu or Alaksandus, was a king of Wilusa who sealed a treaty with the Hittite king Muwatalli II ca. 1280 BC; this is generally assumed to have been a Greek called Alexandros.

The name was one of the epithets given to the Greek goddess Hera and as such is usually taken to mean "one who comes to save warriors". In the Iliad, the character Paris is known also as Alexander.[8] The name's popularity was spread throughout the Greek world by the military conquests of King Alexander III, commonly known as "Alexander the Great". Most later Alexanders in various countries were directly or indirectly named after him.[9]

People known as Alexander

Alexander has been the name of many rulers, including kings of Macedon, of Scotland, emperors of Russia and popes.

Rulers of antiquity

Rulers of the Middle Ages

Modern rulers

  • Alexander I of Russia (1777–1825), emperor of Russia
  • 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 modern Bulgaria
  • Alexandru Ioan Cuza, first prince of unified Romania (1859–1866)
  • 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
  • Alexander, Crown Prince of Yugoslavia (born 1945), head of the Yugoslav Royal Family
  • Zog I, also known as Skenderbeg III (1895–1961), king of Albanians
  • Alexander of Greece (1893–1920), king of Greece
  • Leka, Crown Prince of Albania (1939–2011), king of Albanians (throne pretender)
  • Willem-Alexander, King of the Netherlands (born 1967), eldest child of Queen Beatrix and Prince Claus

Other royalty

Religious leaders

Other people

Antiquity

  • Alexander (artists), the name of a number of artists of ancient Greece and Rome
  • Alexander of Lyncestis (died 330 BC), contemporary of Alexander the Great
  • Alexander (son of Polyperchon) (died 314 BC), regent of Macedonia
  • Alexander (Antigonid general), 3rd-century BC cavalry commander under Antigonus III Doson
  • Alexander of Athens, 3rd-century BC Athenian comic poet
  • Alexander Aetolus (fl. 280 BC), poet and member of the Alexandrian Pleiad
  • Alexander (son of Lysimachus) (fl. 284–281 BC), Macedonian royal
  • Alexander (grandson of Seleucus I Nicator) (fl. 270–240 BC), Greek Anatolian nobleman
  • Alexander (Aetolian general), briefly conquered Aegira in 220 BC
  • Alexander of Acarnania (died 191 BC), confidante of Antiochus III the Great
  • Alexander Isius (fl. 198–189 BC), Aetolian military commander
  • Alexander Lychnus, early 1st-century BC poet and historian
  • Alexander Philalethes, 1st century BC physician
  • Alexander Polyhistor, Greek scholar of the 1st century BC
  • Alexander of Myndus, ancient Greek writer on zoology and divination
  • Alexander of Aegae, peripatetic philosopher of the 1st century AD
  • Alexander of Cotiaeum, 2nd-century Greek grammarian and tutor of Marcus Aurelius
  • Alexander Numenius, 2nd-century Greek rhetorician
  • Alexander Peloplaton, 2nd-century Greek rhetorician
  • Alexander of Abonoteichus (c. 105–170), Greek religious leader and imposter
  • Alexander of Aphrodisias (fl. 200), Greek commentator and philosopher
  • Alexander of Lycopolis, 4th-century author of an early Christian treatise against Manicheans
  • Alexander, a member of the Jerusalem Temple Sanhedrin mentioned in Acts 4:6

Middle Ages

Modern

  • Alexander (magician) (1880–1954), stage magician specializing in mentalism
  • Olivinha (born 1983), Brazilian basketball player also known as Alexandre

People with the given name

People with the given name Alexander or variants include:

  • Alexander Aigner (1909–1988), Austrian mathematician
  • Alexander Vasilyevich Alexandrov (1883–1946), Russian composer
  • Alexander Argov (1914–1995), Russian-born Israeli composer
  • Alexander Armah (born 1994), American football player
  • Alexander Armstrong (born 1970), British comedian and singer
  • Aleksandr Averbukh (born 1974), Israeli pole vaulter
  • Alex Baldock (born 1970), British businessman
  • Alec Baldwin (born 1958), American actor
  • Alexander Björk (born 1990), golfer
  • Alexander Graham Bell (1847–1922), Scottish inventor of the first practical telephone
  • Aleksander Barkov (born 1995), Finnish ice hockey player
  • Alexander Calder (1898–1976), American sculptor best known for making mobiles
  • Alexander Davidovich (born 1967), Israeli wrestler
  • Alexander Day, British 18th-century confidence trickster
  • Alex DeBrincat (born 1997), American ice hockey player
  • Aleksandar Djordjevic (born 1967), Serbian basketball player
  • Alexander Dubček (1921–1992), leader of Czechoslovakia (1968–1969)
  • Alexandre Dumas (1802–1870), French writer
  • (Alexandre) Gustave Eiffel (1832–1923), French civil engineer and architect, designer of the Eiffel Tower
  • Alexander Lee Eusebio (born 1988), also known as Alexander or Xander, South Korean singer, member of U-KISS
  • Alexander Exarch (1810–1891), Bulgarian revivalist, publicist and journalist, participant in the struggle for an independent Bulgarian Exarchate
  • Alex Ferguson (born 1941), football player and manager
  • Alexander Fleming (1881–1955), Scottish discoverer of penicillin
  • Alexander Zusia Friedman (1897–1943), Polish rabbi, educator, activist, and journalist
  • Alex Galchenyuk (born 1994), American ice hockey player
  • Alexander Glazunov (1865–1936), Russian composer
  • Alexander Goldberg, Israeli chemical engineer and President of the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology
  • Alexander Gomelsky (1928–2005), Russian head coach of USSR basketball national team for 30 years
  • Aleksandr Gorelik (1945–2012), Soviet figure skater
  • Alexander Gould (born 1994), American actor
  • Alexandre Grothendieck (1928–2014), mathematician
  • Alexander Gustafsson (born 1987), Swedish mixed martial arts fighter
  • Alexander Haig (1924–2010), American general and politician
  • Alexander Hamilton (1755–1804), first United States Secretary of the Treasury and one of the founding fathers of the United States
  • Alexander Hamilton Jr. (1786–1875), American attorney and son of Alexander Hamilton
  • Alexander Hamilton Jr. (1816–1889), son of James Alexander Hamilton and grandson of Alexander Hamilton
  • Alexander Held (born 1958), German actor
  • Alex Higgins (1949–2010), Northern Irish snooker player
  • Alexander Hollins (born 1996), American football player
  • Alexander Holtz (born 2002), Swedish ice hockey player
  • Alex Horne (born 1978), British comedian
  • Alexander von Humboldt (1769–1859), Prussian naturalist and explorer
  • Alex Kapranos (born 1972), Scottish musician, author, songwriter and producer, front-man of Franz Ferdinand
  • Aleksandar Katai (born 1991), Serbian footballer
  • Alexander Kerfoot (born 1994), Canadian ice hockey player
  • Alex Killorn (born 1989), Canadian ice hockey player
  • Aleksandr Kogan (born 1985/86), psychologist and data scientist
  • Alexander Korda (1893–1956), Hungarian film director
  • Alexander Levinsky (1910–1990), Canadian ice hockey player
  • Alexander Ivanovich Levitov (1835–1877), Russian writer
  • Alexander Lévy (born 1990), French golfer
  • Alexandre Lippmann (1881–1960), French épée fencer
  • Alexander Ludwig (born 1992), Canadian actor
  • Alexander "Sandy" Lyle (born 1958), Scottish golfer
  • Alexander Lukashenko (born 1954), President of Belarus
  • Alex Manninger (born 1997), Austrian footballer
  • Alessandro Manzoni (1785–1873), Italian poet and novelist
  • Alexander "Ali" Marpet (born 1993), American football player
  • Alexander Mattison (born 1998), American football player
  • Alexander McQueen (1969–2010), British fashion designer and couturier
  • Alexander Michel Melki (born 1992), Swedish-Lebanese footballer
  • Alexander Mirsky (born 1964), Latvian politician
  • Alessandro Moreschi (1858–1922), Italian castrato singer
  • Aleksandr Nikolayev (1897–1957), Russian painter
  • Alexander Nikolov (born 1940), boxer
  • Alexander Noren (born 1982), golfer
  • Alexander Nylander (born 1998), Swedish ice hockey player
  • Alexander O'Neal (born 1953), American singer
  • Alexander Ovechkin (born 1985), Russian hockey player
  • Alexander Patch (1889–1945), American general during World War II
  • Alexander Pechtold (born 1965), Dutch politician
  • Alexander Penn (1906–1972), Israeli poet
  • Alexander Pichushkin (born 1974), prolific Russian serial killer
  • Alex Pietrangelo (born 1990), Canadian ice hockey player
  • Alexander Piorkowski (1904–1948), German Nazi SS concentration camp commandant executed for war crimes
  • Alexander Ponomarenko (born 1964), Russian billionaire businessman
  • Alexander Pope (1688–1744), English poet
  • Alexander Popov (born 1971) Russian swimmer
  • Alexander Ptushko (1900–1973), Russian film director
  • Alexander Pushkin (1799–1837), Russian writer
  • Alexander Radulov (born 1986), Russian ice hockey player
  • Alexander Ragoza (1858–1919), Russian general in World War I
  • Alexander Rendell (born 1990), Thai actor and singer
  • Alex Rodriguez (born 1975), Major League Baseball star, won 3 AL MVP awards, also known as A-Rod
  • Alexander Rou (1906–1973), Russian film director
  • Alexander Rowe (born 1992), Australian athlete
  • Alexander Rudolph ("Al McCoy"; 1894–1966), American boxer
  • Alexander Rybak (born 1986), Norwegian artist and violinist
  • Alexander Salkind (1921–1997), French film producer
  • Alexander Scriabin (1872–1915), Russian composer and pianist
  • Alexander Semin (born 1984), Russian hockey player
  • Alexander Shatilov (born 1987), Uzbek-Israeli artistic gymnast
  • Alexander Theodore "Sasha" Shulgin (1925–2014), American chemist, psychopharmacologist, and author
  • Alexander Slastin (born 1942), Russian actor
  • Alexander Stafford, British politician
  • Alexander Suvorov (1730–1800), Russian military leader, considered a national hero, Count of Rymnik, Count of the Holy Roman Empire, Prince of Italy, and the last Generalissimo of the Russian Empire
  • Alexander Skarsgård (born 1976), Swedish actor
  • Alexander McCall Smith (born 1948), Scottish writer
  • Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn (1918–2008), Russian writer, Nobel laureate, Soviet dissident
  • Alexander Steen (born 1984), Swedish ice hockey player
  • Alexandre Texier (born 1999), French ice hockey player
  • Lex van Dam (born 1968), Dutch trader and TV personality
  • Alexander Van der Bellen (born 1944), 12th President of Austria
  • Alexander Varchenko (born 1949), Russian mathematician
  • Aleksander Veingold (born 1953), Estonian and Soviet chess player and coach
  • Alessandro Volta (1745–1827), Italian physicist
  • Alexander Wennberg (born 1994), Swedish ice hockey player
  • Alexander Wilson (disambiguation)
  • Alexandre Yersin (1863–1943), a Swiss-French doctor, explorer and bacteriologist who uncovered a strain of bacterium that caused "The Black Death" in Hong Kong and was later named after him as Yersinia Pestis to honor his contribution to eradicating a deadly disease
  • Alexander Yusuf, Somali-British architect
  • Alex Zanardi (born 1966), Italian racing driver and paracyclist
  • Alexander Zverev (born 1997), German tennis player

In other languages

See also

  • Alex (disambiguation)
  • Alexandra
  • Justice Alexander (disambiguation)
  • Alexander (surname)
  • All pages with titles beginning with Alexander
  • Hera Alexandros, epithet of the Greek goddess Hera

References

  1. ^ Hellenisms : culture, identity, and ethnicity from antiquity to modernity. Zacharia, Katerina, 1967–, Ζαχαρία, Κατερίνα, 1967–. Aldershot, England: Ashgate. 2008. ISBN 978-0-7546-6525-0. OCLC 192048201.
  2. ^ Ἀλέξανδρος. Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; A Greek–English Lexicon at the Perseus Project.
  3. ^ ἀλέξειν in Liddell and Scott.
  4. ^ ἀνήρ in Liddell and Scott.
  5. ^ Tablet MY V 659 (61). "The Linear B word a-re-ka-sa-da-ra". Palaeolexicon. Word study tool of ancient languages. "MY 659 V (61)". DĀMOS Database of Mycenaean at Oslo. University of Oslo. Raymoure, K.A. "a-re-ka-sa-da-ra-qe". Deaditerranean. Minoan Linear A & Mycenaean Linear B.
  6. ^ Chadwick, John (1999) [1976]. The Mycenaean World. New York: Cambridge University Press.
  7. ^ Mycenaean (Linear B) – English Glossary
  8. ^ Ἀλέξανδρος, Georg Autenrieth, A Homeric Dictionary, on Perseus Digital Library
  9. ^ Campbell, Mike. "Meaning, origin and history of the name Alexander". Behind the Name. Retrieved 2019-06-10.
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