Alexander is a male

given name A given name (also known as a forename or first name) is the part of a personal name quoted in that identifies a person, potentially with a middle name as well, and differentiates that person from the other members of a group (typically a fa ...

. The most prominent bearer of the name is

Alexander the Great Alexander III of Macedon ( grc, wikt:Ἀλέξανδρος, Ἀλέξανδρος, Alexandros; 20/21 July 356 BC – 10/11 June 323 BC), commonly known as Alexander the Great, was a king of the Ancient Greece, ancient Greek kingdom of Maced ...

, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia who created one of the largest empires in ancient history. Variants listed here are Aleksandar, Aleksander and Aleksandr. Related names and diminutives include

Iskandar Iskandar, Iskander, Askander, Eskinder, or Scandar ( ar, إسكندر ( fa, اسکندر ''Eskandar'' or سکندر ''Skandar''), is a variant of the given name Alexander in cultures such as Iran (Persia), Arabia and others throughout the Middle Ea ...

Alec Alec or Aleck is a Scottish form of the given name Alex. It may be a diminutive of the name Alexander or a given name in its own right. Notable people with the name include: People * Alec Aalto (1942–2018), Finnish diplomat *Alec Acton (1938� ...

Alek Alek is a given name and alternative form of Alec. Notable people with the name include: * Alek Bédard (born 1996), Canadian curler * Alek D. Epstein (born 1975), Russian-Israeli sociologist of culture and politics * Alek Dzhabrailov (1976-2 ...

Alex Alex is a given name. It can refer to a shortened version of Alexander, Alexandra, Alexis. People Multiple *Alex Brown (disambiguation), multiple people * Alex Gordon (disambiguation), multiple people *Alex Harris (disambiguation), multiple pe ...

Alexandre Alexandre may refer to: * Alexandre (given name) * Alexandre (surname) * Alexandre (film) See also * Alexander * Xano (disambiguation) Xano is the name of: * Xano, a Portuguese hypocoristic of the name "Alexandre (disambiguation) Alexandre may re ...

Aleks ALEKS (Assessment and Learning in Knowledge Spaces) is an online tutoring and assessment program that includes course material in mathematics, chemistry, introductory statistics, and business. Rather than being based on numerical test scores, ...

, Aleksa and

Sander A sander is a power tool used to smooth surfaces by abrasion with sandpaper. Sanders have a means to attach the sandpaper and a mechanism to move it rapidly contained within a housing with means to hand-hold it or fix it to a workbench. Woodwo ...

; feminine forms include

Alexandra Alexandra () is the feminine form of the given name Alexander (, ). Etymologically, the name is a compound of the Greek verb (; meaning 'to defend') and (; GEN , ; meaning 'man'). Thus it may be roughly translated as "defender of man" or "prot ...

Alexandria Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandria ...

, and Sasha.

Etymology

The name ''Alexander'' originates from the (; 'defending men' or 'protector of men'). It is a compound of the verb (; 'to ward off, avert, defend') and the noun (,

genitive In grammar, the genitive case (abbreviated ) is the grammatical case that marks a word, usually a noun, as modifying another word, also usually a noun—thus indicating an attributive relationship of one noun to the other noun. A genitive can al ...

: , ; meaning 'man'). 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 line of battle is a tactic in naval warfare in which a fleet of ships forms a line end to end. The first example of its use as a tactic is disputed—it has been variously claimed for dates ranging from 1502 to 1652. Line-of-battle tacti ...

. The earliest attested form of the name, is the

Mycenaean Greek Mycenaean Greek is the most ancient attested form of the Greek language, on the Greek mainland and Crete in Mycenaean Greece (16th to 12th centuries BC), before the hypothesised Dorian invasion, often cited as the ''terminus ad quem'' for the ...

feminine

anthroponym Anthroponymy (also anthroponymics or anthroponomastics, from Ancient Greek ἄνθρωπος ''anthrōpos'' / 'human', and ὄνομα ''onoma'' / 'name') is the study of ''anthroponyms'', the proper names of human beings, both individual and co ...

, , (/

/), written in the

Linear B Linear B was a syllabic script used for writing in Mycenaean Greek, the earliest attested form of Greek. The script predates the Greek alphabet by several centuries. The oldest Mycenaean writing dates to about 1400 BC. It is descended from ...

syllabic script.

Alaksandu Alaksandu, ( Hittite: 𒀀𒆷𒀝𒊭𒀭𒁺𒍑 ''Alâkšândûš'') alternatively called Alakasandu or Alaksandus was a king of Wilusa who sealed a treaty with Hittite king Muwatalli II ca. 1280 BC. This treaty implies that Alaksandu had prev ...

, alternatively called ''Alakasandu'' or ''Alaksandus'', was a king of

Wilusa Wilusa ( hit, ) or Wilusiya was a Late Bronze Age city in western Anatolia known from references in fragmentary Hittites, Hittite records. The city is notable for its identification with the archaeological site of Troy, and thus its potential con ...

who sealed a treaty with the Hittite king

Muwatalli II :''See also Muwatalli I'' Muwatalli II (also Muwatallis, or Muwatallish) was a king of the New Kingdom of the Hittite empire c. 1295–1282 (middle chronology) and 1295–1272 BC in the short chronology. Biography He was the eldest son of Mursil ...

ca. 1280 BC; this is generally assumed to have been a Greek called Alexandros. The name was one of the

epithets An epithet (, ), also byname, is a descriptive term (word or phrase) known for accompanying or occurring in place of a name and having entered common usage. It has various shades of meaning when applied to seemingly real or fictitious people, di ...

given to the Greek goddess

Hera In ancient Greek religion, Hera (; grc-gre, Ἥρα, Hḗrā; grc, Ἥρη, Hḗrē, label=none in Ionic and Homeric Greek) is the goddess of marriage, women and family, and the protector of women during childbirth. In Greek mythology, she ...

and as such is usually taken to mean "one who comes to save warriors". In the

Iliad The ''Iliad'' (; grc, Ἰλιάς, Iliás, ; "a poem about Ilium") is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest extant works of literature still widely read by modern audiences. As with the ''Odysse ...

, the character

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

is known also as Alexander. 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.

People known as Alexander

Alexander has been the name of many rulers, including kings of

Macedon Macedonia (; grc-gre, Μακεδονία), also called Macedon (), was an ancient kingdom on the periphery of Archaic and Classical Greece, and later the dominant state of Hellenistic Greece. The kingdom was founded and initially ruled by ...

, of

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

, emperors of

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...

and

popes The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...

Rulers of antiquity

*Alexander (''Alexandros of Ilion''), more often known as

Paris of Troy Paris ( grc, Πάρις), also known as Alexander (, ''Aléxandros''), the son of King Priam and Queen Hecuba of Troy, is a mythological nobleman that appears in a number of Greek legends. Of these appearances, probably the best known was th ...

*Alexander of Corinth, 10th king of

Corinth Corinth ( ; el, Κόρινθος, Kórinthos, ) is the successor to an ancient city, and is a former municipality in Corinthia, Peloponnese, which is located in south-central Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform, it has been part o ...

(816–791 BC) *

Alexander I of Macedon Alexander I of Macedon ( el, Ἀλέξανδρος ὁ Μακεδών), known with the title Philhellene (Greek: φιλέλλην, literally "fond/lover of the Greeks", and in this context "Greek patriot"), was the ruler of the ancient Kingdom of ...

Alexander II of Macedon Alexander II of Macedon ( gr, Ἀλέξανδρος Β', Aléxandros) was an Argead king of the ancient kingdom of Macedon in 369–367 BC, following the death of his father Amyntas III. Family He was the eldest of the three sons of king Amyntas ...

*Alexander III of Macedon, commonly known as

Alexander IV of Macedon Alexander IV (Greek: ; 323/322– 309 BC), sometimes erroneously called Aegus in modern times, was the son of Alexander the Great (Alexander III of Macedon) and Princess Roxana of Bactria. Birth Alexander IV was the son of Alexander th ...

* Alexander V of Macedon *

Alexander of Pherae Alexander ( grc, Ἀλέξανδρος) was Tyrant or Despot of Pherae in Thessaly, ruling from 369 to c. 356 BC. Following the assassination of Jason, the tyrant of Pherae and Tagus of Thessaly, in 370 BC, his brother Polydorus ruled for a year, ...

despot of Pherae between 369 and 358 BC * Alexander I of Epirus king of Epirus about 342 BC *

Alexander II of Epirus Alexander II (Greek: Άλέξανδρος) was a king of Epirus, and the son of Pyrrhus and Lanassa, the daughter of the Sicilian tyrant Agathocles. Reign He succeeded his father as king in 272 BC, and continued the war which his father had beg ...

king of Epirus 272 BC *

Alexander of Corinth Alexander ( grc, Ἀλέξανδρος) (died 247 BC) was a Macedonian governor and tyrant of Corinth. He was the son of Craterus who had faithfully governed Corinth and Chalcis for his half-brother Antigonus II Gonatas. His grandmother was Phila, ...

, viceroy of

Antigonus Gonatas Antigonus II Gonatas ( grc-gre, Ἀντίγονος Γονατᾶς, ; – 239 BC) was a Macedonian ruler who solidified the position of the Antigonid dynasty in Macedon after a long period defined by anarchy and chaos and acquired fame for ...

and ruler of a rump state based on Corinth c. 250 BC *

Alexander (satrap) Alexander (in Greek Αλέξανδρος; died 220 BC) was brother of Molon. On the accession of the Seleucid king Antiochus III, afterwards called the Great, in 223 BC, he entrusted Alexander with the government of the satrapy of Persis and Molon ...

(died 220 BC), satrap of Persis under Seleucid king Antiochus III *

Alexander Balas Alexander I Theopator Euergetes, surnamed Balas ( grc, Ἀλέξανδρος Βάλας, Alexandros Balas), was the ruler of the Seleucid Empire from 150/Summer 152 – August 145 BC. Picked from obscurity and supported by the neighboring Roman- ...

, ruler of the Seleucid kingdom of Syria between 150 and 146 BC *

Alexander Zabinas Alexander II Theos Epiphanes Nikephoros ( grc, Ἀλέξανδρος Θεός Ἐπιφανής Νικηφόρος ''Áléxandros Theós Épiphanḗs Nikēphóros'', surnamed Zabinas; 150 BC – 123 BC) was a Hellenistic period, Hellenistic Se ...

, ruler of part of the Seleucid kingdom of Syria based in Antioch between 128 and 123 BC *

Alexander Jannaeus Alexander Jannaeus ( grc-gre, Ἀλέξανδρος Ἰανναῖος ; he, ''Yannaʾy''; born Jonathan ) was the second king of the Hasmonean dynasty, who ruled over an expanding kingdom of Judea from 103 to 76 BCE. A son of John Hyrcanus, ...

king of Judea, 103–76 BC *

Alexander of Judaea Alexander II ( Gr. , died 48 or 47 BC), or Alexander Maccabeus, was the eldest son of Aristobulus II, king of Judaea. He married his cousin Alexandra Maccabeus, daughter of his uncle, Hyrcanus II. Their grandfather was Alexander Jannaeus, the sec ...

, son of Aristobulus II, king of Judaea *

Alexander Severus Marcus Aurelius Severus Alexander (1 October 208 – 21/22 March 235) was a Roman emperor, who reigned from 222 until 235. He was the last emperor from the Severan dynasty. He succeeded his slain cousin Elagabalus in 222. Alexander himself was ...

(208–235), Roman emperor *

Julius Alexander Julius Alexander also known as Julius Alexander of Emesa was prince from the Royal family of Emesa who lived in the 2nd century. Although Alexander was a nobleman from Emesa, little is known of his origins. He may have been the son of Sohaemus of ...

, lived in the 2nd century, an Emesene nobleman *

Domitius Alexander Lucius Domitius Alexander (died c. 310), probably born in Phrygia, was vicarius of Africa when Emperor Maxentius ordered him to send his son as hostage to Rome. Alexander refused and proclaimed himself emperor in 308. The most detailed if somew ...

, Roman usurper who declared himself emperor in 308

Rulers of the Middle Ages

Alexander, Byzantine Emperor Alexander Porphyrogenitus ( gr, Αλέξανδρος, ''Alexandros'', 23 November 8706 June 913) was briefly Byzantine emperor from 912 to 913, and the third emperor of the Macedonian dynasty. Life Alexander was the third son of Emperor Basil ...

(912–913) *

Alexander I of Scotland Alexander I (medieval Gaelic: ''Alaxandair mac Maíl Coluim''; modern Gaelic: ''Alasdair mac Mhaol Chaluim''; c. 1078 – 23 April 1124), posthumously nicknamed The Fierce, was the King of Scotland from 1107 to his death. He succeeded his brothe ...

(c. 1078–1124) *

Alexander II of Scotland Alexander II (Medieval Gaelic: '; Modern Gaelic: '; 24 August 1198 – 6 July 1249) was King of Scotland from 1214 until his death. He concluded the Treaty of York (1237) which defined the boundary between England and Scotland, virtually unch ...

(1198–1249) *

Alexander Nevsky Alexander Yaroslavich Nevsky (russian: Александр Ярославич Невский; ; 13 May 1221 – 14 November 1263) served as Prince of Novgorod (1236–40, 1241–56 and 1258–1259), Grand Prince of Kiev (1236–52) and Grand P ...

(1220–1263), Prince of Novgorod and Grand Prince of Vladimir *

Alexander III of Scotland Alexander III (Medieval ; Modern Gaelic: ; 4 September 1241 – 19 March 1286) was King of Scots from 1249 until his death. He concluded the Treaty of Perth, by which Scotland acquired sovereignty over the Western Isles and the Isle of Man. His ...

(1241–1286) *

Nicholas Alexander of Wallachia Nicholas Alexander ( ro, Nicolae Alexandru), (died November 1364) was a Voivode of Wallachia (c. 1352 – November 1364), after having been co-ruler to his father Basarab I. Reign In the year 1359, he founded the Eastern Orthodox Metropoli ...

Voivode Voivode (, also spelled ''voievod'', ''voevod'', ''voivoda'', ''vojvoda'' or ''wojewoda'') is a title denoting a military leader or warlord in Central, Southeastern and Eastern Europe since the Early Middle Ages. It primarily referred to the me ...

Wallachia Wallachia or Walachia (; ro, Țara Românească, lit=The Romanian Land' or 'The Romanian Country, ; archaic: ', Romanian Cyrillic alphabet: ) is a historical and geographical region of Romania. It is situated north of the Lower Danube and so ...

(?-1364) *

Ivan Alexander of Bulgaria Ivan Alexander ( bg, Иван Александър, transliterated ''Ivan Aleksandǎr'', ; original spelling: ІѠАНЪ АЛЄѮАНдРЪ), also sometimes Anglicized as John Alexander, ruled as Emperor (''Tsar'') of Bulgaria from 1331 to 1371, ...

tsar Tsar ( or ), also spelled ''czar'', ''tzar'', or ''csar'', is a title used by East Slavs, East and South Slavs, South Slavic monarchs. The term is derived from the Latin word ''Caesar (title), caesar'', which was intended to mean "emperor" i ...

Bulgaria Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedon ...

(beginnings of the 14th century-1371) *

Aleksandr Mikhailovich of Tver Grand Prince Alexander or Aleksandr Mikhailovich (russian: Александр Михайлович Тверской; 7 October 1301 – 29 October 1339) was a Prince of Tver as Alexander I and Grand Prince of Vladimir-Suzdal as Alexander II. His r ...

Prince of Tver The title of Prince of Tver was borne by the head of the branch of the Rurikid dynasty that ruled the Principality of Tver. In 1247 Tver was allocated to Grand Prince Alexander Nevsky, and became an independent principality. In 1252, the principal ...

as Alexander I and Grand Prince of

Vladimir-Suzdal Vladimir-Suzdal (russian: Владимирско-Су́здальская, ''Vladimirsko-Suzdal'skaya''), also Vladimir-Suzdalian Rus', formally known as the Grand Duchy of Vladimir (1157–1331) (russian: Владимиро-Су́здальс ...

as Alexander II (1301–1339) *

Sikandar Khan Ghazi Sikandar Khān Ghāzī ( fa, , bn, সিকান্দার খান গাজী) was the first wazir of Srihat under the Lakhnauti Kingdom ruled by Shamsuddin Firuz Shah. Prior to this, Khan was one of the commanders of the Battles of ...

, Vizier of Sylhet (from 1303) *Aleksander (1338–before 1386), Prince of

Podolia Podolia or Podilia ( uk, Поділля, Podillia, ; russian: Подолье, Podolye; ro, Podolia; pl, Podole; german: Podolien; be, Падолле, Padollie; lt, Podolė), is a historic region in Eastern Europe, located in the west-central ...

(son of

Narymunt Narimantas or Narymunt (baptized ''Gleb''; 1277 or just before 1300 (according to Wasilewski 1992) – 2 February 1348) was the second eldest son of Gediminas, Grand Duke of Lithuania. During various periods of his life, he ruled Pinsk and Polats ...

) *

Sikandar Shah Miri Sikandar Shah (Sikandar Butshikan – "Sikandar, the Iconoclast") was the sixth sultan of the Shah Miri dynasty of Kashmir from 1389 to 1413. Sources The only contemporaneous source that exists is the Rajatarangini (lit. Flow of Succession o ...

, better known as Sikandar Butshikan ("Sikandar the

Iconoclast Iconoclasm (from Greek: grc, εἰκών, lit=figure, icon, translit=eikṓn, label=none + grc, κλάω, lit=to break, translit=kláō, label=none)From grc, εἰκών + κλάω, lit=image-breaking. ''Iconoclasm'' may also be conside ...

"), sixth

sultan Sultan (; ar, سلطان ', ) is a position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun ', meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it ...

of the

Shah Miri dynasty The Shah Mir dynasty was a dynasty that ruled the region of Kashmir in the Indian subcontinent. The dynasty is named after its founder, Shah Mir. During the rule of the dynasty from 1339 to 1561, Islam forcefully established in Kashmir. Orig ...

Kashmir Kashmir () is the northernmost geographical region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term "Kashmir" denoted only the Kashmir Valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal Range. Today, the term encompas ...

(1353–1413) *

Sikandar Shah Abul Mujāhid Sikandar Shāh ( bn, আবুল মুজাহিদ সিকান্দর শাহ, fa, ), commonly known as Sikandar Shah; was the second Sultan of Bengal and the Ilyas Shahi dynasty. He was the son of Shamsuddin Ilyas Sha ...

Sultan of Bengal The Sultanate of Bengal (Middle Bengali language, Middle Bengali: শাহী বাঙ্গালা ''Shahī Baṅgala'', Classical Persian: ''Saltanat-e-Bangālah'') was an empire based in Bengal for much of the 14th, 15th and 16th centu ...

(1358–1390) * Alexander II of Georgia (1483–1510) *

Alexandru I Aldea Alexander I Aldea (1397 – December 1436) was a Voivode of Wallachia (1431–1436) from the House of Basarab, son of Mircea the Elder. He came to rule Wallachia during an extremely turbulent time when rule of the country changed hands by violence ...

, ruler of the principality of Wallachia (1431–1436) *

Eskender Eskender ( gez, እስክንድር, "Alexander"; 15 July 1471 – 7 May 1494) was Emperor of Ethiopia and a member of the Solomonic dynasty. His throne name was Kwestantinos II (Ge’ez: ቈስታንቲኖስ, "Constantine"). He was the son of Em ...

Emperor An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereignty, sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), ...

Ethiopia Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the ...

(1472–1494) *

Alexander Jagiellon Alexander Jagiellon ( pl, Aleksander Jagiellończyk, lt, Aleksandras Jogailaitis; 5 August 1461 – 19 August 1506) of the House of Jagiellon was the Grand Duke of Lithuania and later also King of Poland. He was the fourth son of Casimir IV Jagi ...

(Alexander of Poland), King of

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...

(1461–1506) * Nuruddin Sikandar Shah, Sultan of

Bengal Bengal ( ; bn, বাংলা/বঙ্গ, translit=Bānglā/Bôngô, ) is a geopolitical, cultural and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the eastern part of the Indian subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal, predom ...

(1481) *

Alexandru Lăpuşneanu Alexandru is the Romanian form of the name Alexander. Common diminutives are Alecu, Alex, and Sandu. Origin Etymologically, the name is derived from the Greek "Αλέξανδρος" (Aléxandros), meaning "defending men" or "protector of men", ...

, Voivode of

Moldavia Moldavia ( ro, Moldova, or , literally "The Country of Moldavia"; in Romanian Cyrillic: or ; chu, Землѧ Молдавскаѧ; el, Ἡγεμονία τῆς Μολδαβίας) is a historical region and former principality in Centr ...

(1499–1568) *

Sikandar Shah of Gujarat Sikandar Shah, born Sikandar Khan, was a ruler of the Muzaffarid dynasty, who reigned over the Gujarat Sultanate for few weeks before his murder in 1526. Reign Gujarat Sultan Muzaffar Shah II died at Ahmedabad on 5 April 1526 after formally ap ...

, ruler of

Gujarat Sultanate The Gujarat Sultanate (or the Sultanate of Guzerat), was a Medieval Indian kingdom established in the early 15th century in Western India, primarily in the present-day state of Gujarat, India. The dynasty was founded by Sultan Zafar Khan Muza ...

(?-1526) *

Sikandar Shah Suri Sikandar Shah Suri (died 1559) was the sixth ruler of the Sur dynasty, a late medieval Pashtun dynasty of northern India. He became the sultan of Delhi after overthrowing Ibrahim Shah Suri. Early life Sikandar Shah Suri's actual name was Ahm ...

Sur dynasty The Sur Empire ( ps, د سرو امپراتورۍ, dë sru amparāturəi; fa, امپراطوری سور, emperâturi sur) was an Afghan dynasty which ruled a large territory in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent for nearly 16 year ...

, Shah of Delhi (?-1559) *

Alexandru II Mircea Alexandru II Mircea (3 March 1529 – 11 September 1577) was a Voivode or Prince of Wallachia from 1568 to 1574 and 1574 to 1577. He was the father of Mihnea II Turcitul. His parents were Mircea III Dracul and Maria Despina. Raised by the Turks i ...

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. Th ...

(1529–1577)

Modern rulers

Alexander I of Russia Alexander I (; – ) was Emperor of Russia from 1801, the first King of Congress Poland from 1815, and the Grand Duke of Finland from 1809 to his death. He was the eldest son of Emperor Paul I and Sophie Dorothea of Württemberg. The son of ...

(1777–1825), emperor of Russia *

Alexander II of Russia Alexander II ( rus, Алекса́ндр II Никола́евич, Aleksándr II Nikoláyevich, p=ɐlʲɪˈksandr ftɐˈroj nʲɪkɐˈlajɪvʲɪtɕ; 29 April 181813 March 1881) was Emperor of Russia, Congress Poland, King of Poland and Gra ...

(1818–1881), emperor of Russia *

Alexander III of Russia Alexander III ( rus, Алекса́ндр III Алекса́ндрович, r=Aleksandr III Aleksandrovich; 10 March 18451 November 1894) was Emperor of Russia, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Finland from 13 March 1881 until his death in 18 ...

(1845–1894), emperor of Russia *

Alexander Karađorđević, Prince of Serbia Alexander Karađorđević ( sr-cyr, Александар Карађорђевић, Aleksandar Karađorđević; 11 October 1806 – 3 May 1885) was the prince of Serbia between 1842 and 1858 and a member of the House of Karađorđević. Early li ...

(1842–1858) *

Alexander of Bulgaria Alexander Joseph ( bg, Александър I Батенберг; 5 April 185717 November 1893), known as Alexander of Battenberg, was the first prince (''knyaz'') of the Principality of Bulgaria from 1879 until his abdication in 1886. The Bulga ...

(1857–1893), first prince of modern Bulgaria *

Alexandru Ioan Cuza Alexandru Ioan Cuza (, or Alexandru Ioan I, also anglicised as Alexander John Cuza; 20 March 1820 – 15 May 1873) was the first ''domnitor'' (Ruler) of the Romanian Principalities through his double election as prince of Moldavia on 5 Januar ...

, 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 Alexander I ( sr-Cyrl, Александар I Карађорђевић, Aleksandar I Karađorđević, ) ( – 9 October 1934), also known as Alexander the Unifier, was the prince regent of the Kingdom of Serbia from 1914 and later the King of Yug ...

(1888–1934), first king of Yugoslavia *

Alexander, Crown Prince of Yugoslavia Alexander, Crown Prince of Yugoslavia ( sr, Александар Карађорђевић, Престолонаследник Југославије; born 17 July 1945 in London), is the head of the House of Karađorđević, the former royal h ...

(born 1945), head of the Yugoslav Royal Family *

Zog I Zog I ( sq, Naltmadhnija e tij Zogu I, Mbreti i Shqiptarëve, ; 8 October 18959 April 1961), born Ahmed Muhtar bey Zogolli, taking the name Ahmet Zogu in 1922, was the leader of Albania from 1922 to 1939. At age 27, he first served as Albania's ...

, also known as Skenderbeg III (1895–1961), king of Albanians *

Alexander of Greece Alexander ( el, Αλέξανδρος, ''Aléxandros''; 1 August 189325 October 1920) was King of Greece from 11 June 1917 until his death three years later, at the age of 27, from the effects of a monkey bite. The second son of King Constanti ...

(1893–1920), king of Greece *

Leka, Crown Prince of Albania Leka, Crown Prince of Albania (also known as ''King Leka I''; 5 April 193930 November 2011), was the only son of King Zog I and Queen Geraldine of Albania. He was called Crown Prince Skander at birth. Leka was the pretender to the Kingdom of Alban ...

(1939–2011), king of Albanians (throne pretender) *

Willem-Alexander, King of the Netherlands Willem-Alexander (; Willem-Alexander Claus George Ferdinand; born ) is King of the Netherlands, having acceded to the throne following Beatrix of the Netherlands, his mother's abdication in 2013. Willem-Alexander was born in Utrecht as the old ...

(born 1967), eldest child of

Queen Beatrix Beatrix (Beatrix Wilhelmina Armgard, ; born 31 January 1938) is a member of the Dutch royal house who reigned as Queen of the Netherlands from 1980 until her abdication in 2013. Beatrix is the eldest daughter of Queen Juliana and her husband ...

and

Prince Claus Prince Claus of the Netherlands, Jonkheer van Amsberg (born Klaus-Georg Wilhelm Otto Friedrich Gerd von Amsberg; 6 September 1926 – 6 October 2002) was Prince consort of the Netherlands from 30 April 1980 until his death in 2002 as the husband ...

Other royalty

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. Variants listed here are Aleksandar, Al ...

, Judean Prince, one of the sons of

Herod the Great Herod I (; ; grc-gre, ; c. 72 – 4 or 1 BCE), also known as Herod the Great, was a Roman Jewish client king of Judea, referred to as the Herodian kingdom. He is known for his colossal building projects throughout Judea, including his renov ...

from his wife

Mariamne Mariamne is a name frequently used in the Herodian royal house. In Greek it is spelled Μαριάμη (Mariame) by Josephus; in some editions of his work the second ''m'' is doubled (Mariamme). In later copies of those editions the spelling was ...

* Alexander Helios, Ptolemaic prince, one of the sons of

Cleopatra Cleopatra VII Philopator ( grc-gre, Κλεοπάτρα Φιλοπάτωρ}, "Cleopatra the father-beloved"; 69 BC10 August 30 BC) was Queen of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt from 51 to 30 BC, and its last active ruler.She was also a ...

and Mark Anthony *

, Judean Prince, son to the above Alexander and Cappadocian princess

Glaphyra Glaphyra ( el, Γλαφύρα; around 35 BC – around 7 AD) was an Anatolian princess from Cappadocia,Kasher, ''King Herod: a persecuted persecutor: a case study in psychohistory and psychobiography'', p.298 and a Queen of Mauretania by her seco ...

(d. 1418), son of

Bulgarian Bulgarian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Bulgaria * Bulgarians, a South Slavic ethnic group * Bulgarian language, a Slavic language * Bulgarian alphabet * A citizen of Bulgaria, see Demographics of Bulgaria * Bul ...

Ivan Shishman Ivan Shishman ( bg, Иван Шишман) ruled as emperor (tsar) of Bulgaria in Tarnovo from 1371 to 3 June 1395. The authority of Ivan Shishman was limited to the central parts of the Bulgarian Empire. In the wake of the death of Ivan Alexan ...

Prince Alexander John of Wales Queen Victoria, the British monarch from 1837 to 1901, and Prince Albert (her husband from 1840 until his death in 1861) had 9 children, 42 grandchildren, and 87 great-grandchildren. Overview Victoria and Albert had 20 grandsons and 22 grandd ...

(1871), short-lived son of

Edward VII Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910. The second child and eldest son of Queen Victoria an ...

*Prince Alexandre of Belgium (1942–2009) *Prince Alfred of Edinburgh and Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (1874–1899) *Olav V of Norway (Prince Alexander of Denmark) (1903–1991)

Religious leaders

*Pope Alexander I (pope 97–105) *Alexander of Apamea, 5th-century bishop of Apamea *Pope Alexander II (pope 1058–1061) *Pope Alexander III (pope 1159–1181) *Pope Alexander IV (pope 1243–1254) *Pope Alexander V ("Peter Philarges" c. 1339–1410) *Pope Alexander VI (1492–1503), Roman pope *Pope Alexander VII (1599–1667) *Pope Alexander VIII (pope 1689–1691) *Alexander of Constantinople, bishop of Constantinople (314–337) *Pope Alexander I of Alexandria, St. Alexander of Alexandria, Coptic Pope, Patriarch of Alexandria between 313 and 328 *Pope Alexander II of Alexandria, Coptic Pope (702–729) *Alexander of Lincoln, bishop of Lincoln *Alexander of Jerusalem *See also Saint Alexander (disambiguation), Saint Alexander, various saints with this name

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 (), poet and member of the Alexandrian Pleiad *Alexander (son of Lysimachus) (), Macedonian royal *Alexander (grandson of Seleucus I Nicator) (), 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 (), 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 (), Greek religious leader and imposter *Alexander of Aphrodisias (), Greek commentator and philosopher *Alexander of Lycopolis, 4th-century author of an early Christian treatise against Manicheans *List of minor New Testament figures#Alexander, Alexander, a member of the Jerusalem Temple Sanhedrin mentioned in Acts 4:6

Middle Ages

*Alexander of Hales, English theologian in the 13th century

Modern

*Alexander (magician) (1880–1954), American stage magician specializing in mentalism

People with the given name

People with the given name Alexander or variants include: *Technoblade (1999–2022), American YouTuber, real name Alexander, surname not made public *Alexander Aigner (1909–1988), Austrian mathematician *Alexander Albon (born 1996), Thai-British racing driver *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), Swedish golfer *Alexander Borodin (1833–1887), Russian composer *Alexander Graham Bell (1847–1922), Scottish inventor of the first practical telephone *Aleksander Barkov Jr., Aleksander Barkov (born 1995), Finnish ice hockey player *Alexander Calder (1898–1976), American sculptor best known for making mobiles *Aleksandr Davidovich (disambiguation), several people *Alexander Davidson (disambiguation), several people *Alexander Day (disambiguation), several people *A. N. D. A. Abeysinghe, Alexander Nicholas de Abrew Abeysinghe (1894-1963), Sri Lankan Sinhala politician *Alex DeBrincat (born 1997), American ice hockey player *A. E. Rajapakse, Alexander Edmund de Silva Wijegooneratne Samaraweera Rajapakse (1866-1937), Sri Lankan Sinhala politician *Aleksandar Djordjevic (born 1967), Serbian basketball player *Alexander Dubček (1921–1992), leader of Czechoslovakia (1968–1969) *Alex Ebert (born 1978). American singer-songwriter *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), Scottish 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 Gardner (disambiguation), multiple people *Alexander Glazunov (1865–1936), Russian composer *Alexander Goldberg (born 1974), British rabbi, barrister, and human rights activist *Alexander Goldberg (chemical engineer), Israeli chemical engineer and President of the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology *Alexander Goldscheider (born 1950), Czech/British composer, producer and writer *Alexander Gomelsky (1928–2005), Russian head coach of USSR basketball national team for 30 years *Alexander Gordon (disambiguation), several people *Aleksandr Gordon (1931–2020), Russian-Soviet director, screenwriter and actor *Aleksandr Gorelik (1945–2012), Soviet figure skater *Alexander Gould (born 1994), American actor *Alexander Grothendieck (1928–2014), German-born French 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, founding fathers of the United States *Alexander Hamilton Jr. (1786–1875), American attorney and son of Alexander Hamilton *Alexander Hamilton Jr. (1816–1889), Alexander Hamilton Jr. (1816–1889), son of James Alexander Hamilton and grandson of Alexander Hamilton *Alexander Held (born 1958), German actor *Alexander Henry (Philadelphia), Alexander Henry (1823-1883), mayor of Philadelphia *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 *Aleksandr Kamshalov (1932–2019), Soviet politician *Alex Kapranos (born 1972), Scottish musician, author, songwriter and producer, front-man of Franz Ferdinand (band), Franz Ferdinand *Aleksandar Katai (born 1991), Serbian footballer *Alexander Kerensky (1881–1970) leader of Russian Provisional Government *Alexander Kerfoot (born 1994), Canadian ice hockey player *Alex Killorn (born 1989), Canadian ice hockey player *Alexander Klingspor (born 1977), Swedish painter and sculptor *Aleksandr Kogan (scientist), Aleksandr Kogan (born 1985/86), Moldovan-born American psychologist and data scientist *Alexander Korda (1893–1956), Hungarian film director *Aleksander Kwaśniewski (born 1954), former President of Poland *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 *Sandy Lyle, Alexander "Sandy" Lyle (born 1958), Scottish golfer *Alexander Lukashenko (born 1954), President of Belarus *Alex Manninger (born 1977), Austrian footballer *Alessandro Manzoni (1785–1873), Italian poet and novelist *Ali Marpet, Alexander "Ali" Marpet (born 1993), American football player *Alexander Mattison (born 1998), American football player *Alexander Lyell McEwin (1897–1988), known as Lyell McEwin, Australian politician, Minister for Health *Alexander McQueen (1969–2010), British fashion designer and couturier *Alexander Michel Melki (born 1992), Swedish-Lebanese footballer *Alexander Mirsky (born 1964), Latvian politician *Alexander Francis Molamure (1888-1951), 1st Speaker of the State Council of Ceylon and 1st Speaker of the Parliament of Sri Lanka *Alessandro Moreschi (1858–1922), Italian castrato singer *Aleksandr Nikolayev (disambiguation), several people *Alexander Nikolov (boxer) (born 1940), Bulgarian boxer *Alex Norén (born 1982), Swedish 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 *A. P. Jayasuriya, Alexander Perera Jayasuriya (1901-1980), Sri Lankan Sinhala MP and Cabinet Minister *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 (disambiguation), several people *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 (runner), 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 Shulgin, Alexander Theodore "Sasha" Shulgin (1925–2014), American chemist, psychopharmacologist, and author *Alexander Sieghart (born 1994), Thai footballer *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 *Alexander Solonik (1960–1997), Russian murder victim *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), President of Austria *Alexander Varchenko (born 1949), Russian mathematician *Aleksander Veingold (born 1953), Estonian and Soviet chess player and coach *Aleksandr Vlasov (disambiguation), several people *Alessandro Volta (1745–1827), Italian physicist *Alexander Wennberg (born 1994), Swedish ice hockey player *Alexander Wilson (disambiguation), several people *A. F. Wijemanne, Alexander Wijemanne, Sri Lankan Sinhala lawyer and politician *Alex Zanardi (born 1966), Italian racing driver and paracyclist *Alexander Zverev (born 1997), German tennis player

In other languages

* Afrikaans: Alexander * Albanian language, Albanian: Aleksandër ** Albanian language, Albanian diminutive: Leka * Amharic: እስክንድር (Isikinidiri, Eskender) * Arabic: اسكندر (

) * Armenian language, Armenian: Ալեքսանդր (Aleksandr) * Asturian language, Asturian: Alexandru, Xandru * Azerbaijani language, Azerbaijani: İsgəndər/Исҝәндәр/ایسگندر, Aleksandr/Александр/آلئکساندر * Basque language, Basque: Alesander * Belarusian language, Belarusian: Аляксандр (Aliaksandr), Алесь (Ales) * Bengali language, Bengali: সিকান্দর (Sikandor) * Bulgarian language, Bulgarian: Александър (Aleksandŭr), Сашко (Sashko) * Catalan language, Catalan: Alexandre/Aleixandre * Chinese language, Chinese: ''Simplified'': 亚历山大 (Yàlìshāndà), ''Traditional'': 亞歷山大 (Yàlìshāndà) * Czech language, Czech: Alexandr, Alexander * Danish language, Danish: Aleksander, Alexander * Dutch language, Dutch: Alexander * Esperanto: Aleksandro * Estonian language, Estonian: Aleksander * English language, English: Alexander * Finnish language, Finnish: Aleksanteri * French language, French: Alexandre, Léandre, Alexis * Galician language, Galician: Alexandre * Georgian language, Georgian: ალექსანდრე (Aleksandre) * German language, German: Alexander * Greek language, Greek **

: 𐀀𐀩𐀏𐀭𐀅𐀫 (Aléxandros) **Ancient Greek: Ἀλέξανδρος (Aléxandros) ** Biblical Greek, Koine Greek: Ἀλέξανδρος (Aléxandros) ** Modern Greek: Αλέξανδρος (Aléxandros) * Hawaiian language, Hawaiian: Alekanekelo * Hebrew language, Hebrew: אלכסנדר (Aleksander) * Hindi: सिकंदर (Sikandar) * Hungarian language, Hungarian: Sándor, Alexander, Elek * Icelandic language, Icelandic: Alexander * Indonesian language, Indonesian: Iskandar * Irish language, Irish: Alastar * Italian language, Italian: Alessandro * Japanese language, Japanese: アレキサンダー (Arekisandā) * Korean language, Korean: 알렉산더 (Alleksandeo) * Kazakh language, Kazakh: Искандер (Iskander) * Kyrgyz language, Kyrgyz: Искендер (Iskender) * Latin: Alexander * Latvian language, Latvian: Aleksandrs * Lithuanian language, Lithuanian: Aleksandras * Macedonian language, Macedonian: Александар (Aleksandar), Сашко (Sashko, Saško) * Malay language, Malay: Iskandar * Malayalam language, Malayalam ** Syriac language, Syriac Origin : ചാണ്ടി (t͡ʃaːɳʈI), ഇടിക്കുള (IʈIkkʊɭa) ** Greek language, Greek Origin : അലക്സിയോസ് (alaksIyos), അലക്സി (alaksI) ** English language, Anglican Origin : അലക്സാണ്ടര്‍ (alaksa:ndar), അലക്സ് (alaks) * Mongolian language, Mongolian: Александр (Alyeksandr) * Norwegian language, Norwegian: Aleksander, Alexander * Pashto: سکندر (Sikandar) * Persian language, Persian: الکساندر (Aleksânder), اسکندر (Skandar) * Polish language, Polish: Aleksander * Portuguese language, Portuguese: Alexandre, Alexandro, Alessandro, Leandro * Punjabi language, Punjabi: Sikandar * Romanian language, Romanian: Alexandru, Alex, Sandu * Russian language, Russian: Александр (Aleksandr), Саша (Sasha) * Rusyn language, Rusyn: Александер (Aleksander) * Sanskrit language, Sanskrit: अलक्षेन्द्र (Alakṣendra) * Scottish Gaelic, Scottish: Alasdair, Alastair, Alistair, Alister * Serbo-Croatian: Александар / Aleksandar * Slovak language, Slovak: Alexander * Slovene language, Slovene: Aleksander * Spanish language, Spanish: Alejandro * Swedish language, Swedish: Alexander * Tagalog language, Tagalog: Alejandro * th, อเล็กซานเดอร์ * Turkish language, Turkish: İskender * Ukrainian language, Ukrainian: Олександр (Oleksandr, sometimes anglicized Olexander), Сашко (Sashko), Олесь (Oles), Олелько (Olelko) * Urdu: سکندر (Sikandar) * Valencian language, Valencian: Alecsandro, Aleksandro, Aleixandre, Alexandre * Vietnamese language, Vietnamese: Alexander, A Lịch San * Welsh language, Welsh: Alexander * Yiddish: אלעקסאנדער (Aleksander)

Variants and Diminutives

*Alexey *Xander * Sasha

References

{{given name Armenian masculine given names Czech masculine given names Danish masculine given names Dutch masculine given names English-language masculine given names English masculine given names German masculine given names Irish masculine given names Given names of Greek language origin Masculine given names Norwegian masculine given names Russian masculine given names Slavic masculine given names Swedish masculine given names Welsh masculine given names