Alexander
Greek Alexandros, “defender of men,” from alexein “to defend” plus aner “man.”
Popularity, 1880–2025
Alexander the Great has kept the name in circulation for over two millennia; American parents rediscovered it in the 1990s taste for long, royal-sounding classics.
Alexander appears in the national records from the very first year, 1880. It has ranked among the top 100 names for American boys in 77 different years between 1880 and 2025. It spent 10 years inside the top 10. Its biggest year was 1993, when 20,530 newborn boys received the name, ranking it No. 21 nationally. Its best ranking came in 2009, at No. 4. In 2025 it ranked No. 30 for boys. All told, 740,668 Americans have been given the name since 1880.
Related names
Other spellings on record: Alexzander (7,456), Alexandre (5,389), Aleksander (4,166), Aleksandr (1,675), Aleksandar (1,437), Aleczander (1,266) (total births since 1880)
Other names that share a story: Alex, Alejandro, Alexandria
Explore Alexander interactively →By the decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 2,081 | No. 71 |
| 1890s | 1,954 | No. 83 |
| 1900s | 2,230 | No. 92 |
| 1910s | 11,352 | No. 94 |
| 1920s | 12,539 | No. 116 |
| 1930s | 7,095 | No. 168 |
| 1940s | 9,477 | No. 178 |
| 1950s | 12,180 | No. 186 |
| 1960s | 14,168 | No. 150 |
| 1970s | 24,932 | No. 94 |
| 1980s | 82,010 | No. 32 |
| 1990s | 183,952 | No. 21 |
| 2000s | 178,847 | No. 4 |
| 2010s | 142,161 | No. 6 |
| 2020s | 51,145 | No. 10 |
Births and rank shown for boys, the sex more often given the name. The Social Security Administration omits name–year combinations with fewer than five births.
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Data: U.S. Social Security Administration national baby-name file, 1880–2025.