article

Alexander is a common male first name. It also occurs, less frequently, as a surname.

Origin

The name in English is taken from the Latin "Alexander," which is a Romanization of the original Greek nominative ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΣ (Alexandros). The genitive form in Greek is Alexandrou.

Etymologically, the name derives from alex-, the compound-form of alexis (from the Proto-Indo-European * *alek-), meaning "refuge, protection, defence," together with -andros, the compound form of andēr (from the PIE *ner-), the Greek word for "man." Thus it may be roughly translated as "protector of man." The term is either a rare type of "inverse tatpurusha" compound, with the modifier in second position (the cognate Sanskrit tatpurusha being *nararakṣa, cf. Ramayana 6.33.45; the exact Sanskrit counterpart would be *rakṣinara, from PIE hleks(i)-hnros), or a worn-down terpsimbrotos type compound, whose original verbal meaning was "he protects men".

The earliest reference to the name may be that to Alaksandu in the 13th century BC.

The name was one of the titles ("epithets") given to the Greek goddess Hera and as such is usually taken to mean "one who comes to the aid of warriors." In the Iliad, the character Paris is known also as Alexander. The name's popularity was spread throughout the Hellenistic world by the military conquests of King Alexander III of Macedon, commonly known as Alexander the Great (Μέγας Αλέξανδρος).

Variants

Also in more modern times, Alexander has been shortened to "Lex" (popularized by the Superman villain Lex Luthor)

Monarchs

Antiquity

Middle ages

Modern

Religious leaders

Others named Alexander

Surname

First name

Places

A number of places are also associated with Alexander:

Other

See also

Given names

Alexander | Alexander (Begriffsklärung) | Αλέξανδρος | Alejandro | Alexandre | 알렉산더 | Aleksandar | אלכסנדר (פירושונים) | Alessandro | Aleksandras | Alexander | Alexander | アレクサンダー | Aleksander | Alexander | Alexandre | Александр | Alexander | Aleksander | Alexander | 亞歷山大

 

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the "Alexander (disambiguation)".

Home Page • arts • business • computers • games • health • hospitals • home • kids & teens • news • physicians • recreation• reference • regional • science • shopping • society • sports • world