Alexander

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]

Variants listed here are Aleksandar, Aleksander and Aleksandr. Related names and diminutives include Alec, Alek, Alex, Alexandre, Aleks and Aleksa; feminine forms include Alexandra and Alexandria.

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.[citation needed ]

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][10]

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

People with the given name Alexander or variants include: