Girl name · Greek
Alexandra
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: defender of menAlexandra is a girl's name that comes from Greek and means "defender of men". It is used in English, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Scandinavian and Greek and more.
- Meaning
- Defender of men
- Origin
- Greek
- Gender
- Girl
- US rank
- #237 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Alexandra
As a girl's name, Alexandra comes from Greek and means "defender of men". It is used in English, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Scandinavian, Greek and Russian.
In Greek, say ah-lek-SAHN-drah. Respellings are a guide; accents vary by region.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Alexandra on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Alexandra on 6 lists.
“From Greek words meaning to defend and men”
From Female demon hunter names, names that mean light, hunt or battle
“Greek for defender of men”
From Female cat names, strong female cat names
“Defender of men; Greek. Strong and elegant”
From Girl middle names, long girl middle names for short first names
“Defender of men; Greek, a feminine form of Alexandros. Say ah-lek-SAHN-drah”
From Greek girl names, popular Greek girl names
“Defender of men; Greek. Alex, Lexi or Sasha for short”
From Strong female names, warrior names for girls
“Defender of men; Greek. Queen of Edward VII”
From Vintage girl names, royal and literary vintage names
How popular is Alexandra?
- US rank in 2025
- #237
- 1,314 babies, 818 per million girls
- Best rank
- #26 in 1995
- Most babies: 10,683 in 1993
- Babies since 1894
- At least 245,451
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 0 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 6 per million |
| 1900s | 20 per million |
| 1910s | 40 per million |
| 1920s | 31 per million |
| 1930s | 42 per million |
| 1940s | 81 per million |
| 1950s | 83 per million |
| 1960s | 178 per million |
| 1970s | 450 per million |
| 1980s | 2,027 per million |
| 1990s | 5,265 per million |
| 2000s | 3,315 per million |
| 2010s | 1,770 per million |
| 2020s | 968 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #110 | #120 | #125 | #130 | #138 | #169 | #190 | #204 | #221 | #237 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Nicknames for Alexandra
Established short forms and pet names, not made-up ones.
- Alexcommon English nickname
- Lexicommon English nickname
- Sashacommon English nickname
- Sandycommon English nickname
- Alexacommon English nickname
Other forms of Alexandra
The same name in other languages and spellings, with the same meaning and origin.
- AlejandraDefender of men (Greek, girl)
- AleksandraDefender of the people (Greek, girl)
- AlessandraDefender of men (Greek, girl)
- AlexaDefender of men (Greek, girl)
- AlexandrinaDefender of men (Greek, girl)
- AlexandrineDefender of men (Greek, girl)
- SandraDefender of men (Greek, girl)
- SandrineDefender of men (Greek, girl)
- SashaDefender of men (Greek, unisex)
Names with a similar meaning
- AlexanderDefender of men (Greek, boy)
- AlexisHelper, defender (Greek, boy)
- AlexDefender, protector (Greek, unisex)
- AlexandreDefender of men (Greek, boy)
- AlistairDefender of men (Greek, boy)
- SandyDefender of men (Greek, boy)
- XanderShort form of Alexander, defender of men (Greek, boy)
- AlasdairDefender of men (Greek, boy)
- AlastarDefender of men (Greek, boy)
- AlejandroDefender of men (Greek, boy)
Middle names for Alexandra
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a shorter length, so the full name flows.
More girl names from Greek
- ElenaForm of Helen, probably from Greek torch (Greek, girl)
- IrenePeace, tranquility (Greek, girl)
- IrisA rainbow (Greek, girl)
- SofiaWisdom, skill (Greek, girl)
- SophieWisdom, skill (Greek, girl)
- ZoeLife, living (Greek, girl)
- AnastasiaResurrection, rising again (Greek, girl)
- ChristinaFollower of Christ (Greek, girl)
- NicoleVictory of the people (Greek, girl)
- PetraRock, stone (Greek, girl)
Alexandra: common questions
What does the name Alexandra mean?
Alexandra comes from Greek and means "defender of men".
Is Alexandra a boy or girl name?
Alexandra is mainly a girl's name.
What are nicknames for Alexandra?
Common nicknames for Alexandra include Alex, Lexi, Sasha, Sandy and Alexa.
How popular is the name Alexandra?
Alexandra ranked #237 in the US in 2025, with 1,314 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are other forms of Alexandra?
Forms of Alexandra with the same meaning and origin include Alejandra (Spanish), Aleksandra (Russian), Alessandra (Italian), Alexa (English) and Alexandrina (English).
What middle names go with Alexandra?
Middle names that flow well with Alexandra include Daisy, Elise, Fern, Ione and Jean. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.