Alexander
English
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin Alexander, from Ancient Greek Ἀλέξανδρος (Aléxandros), from ἀλέξω (aléxō, “I defend”) + ἀνδρ- (andr-), the stem of ἀνήρ (anḗr, “man”). Doublet of Alastair, Alejandro, Iskandar, Sikandar, Alessandro, and Alexandre.
Pronunciation
- (General American) IPA(key): /ˌælɪɡˈzændɚ/
Audio (General American): (file) - (æ-tensing, rhotic) IPA(key): [ˌælɪɡˈzeəndɚ]
- (æ-tensing, non-rhotic) IPA(key): [ˌælɪɡˈzeəndə]
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˌalɪɡˈzɑːndə/
Audio (Southern England): (file)
- Hyphenation: Al‧ex‧an‧der
- Rhymes: -ɑːndə(ɹ), -ændə(ɹ)
Proper noun
Alexander (plural Alexanders)
- A male given name from Ancient Greek, most famously held by Alexander the Great.
- c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene i]:
- Why may not imagination trace the noble dust of Alexander, till he find it stopping a bung-hole?
- 1765, Laurence Sterne, Tristram Shandy, Book IV, Chapter 18:
- And for my own part, said my uncle Toby, though I should blush to boast of myself, Trim - yet had my name been Alexander, I could have done no more at Namur than my duty.
- 1985, Anne Tyler, The Accidental Tourist, →ISBN, page 170:
- "My son's name is Alexander," Muriel said. "Did I tell you that? I named him Alexander because it sounded high-class.
- A Scottish surname originating as a patronymic, anglicized from Scottish Gaelic Mac Alasdair (“son of Alexander”).
- A place in the United States:
- A city in Pulaski County and Saline County, Arkansas.
- An unincorporated community in Burke County, Georgia; named for early settler Hugh Alexander.
- A minor city in Franklin County, Iowa.
- A minor city in Rush County, Kansas; named for early settler Alexander Harvey.
- A town in Washington County, Maine; named for British politician and financier Alexander Baring, 1st Baron Ashburton.
- A town and village therein, in Genesee County, New York; named for early settler Alexander Rea.
- A minor city in McKenzie County, North Dakota; named for early North Dakota politician Alexander McKenzie.
- An unincorporated community in Upshur County, West Virginia; named for local lumber businessman John M. Alexander.
- A rural municipality in eastern Manitoba, Canada.
- A community in the Rural Municipality of Whitehead, Manitoba, Canada; named for early settler Alexander Speers.
Derived terms
- Al
- Alec
- Aleck
- Alex
- Alexander Archipelago
- Alexander Archipelago wolf
- Alexander beetle (Megadromus antarcticus)
- Alexander County
- Alexander Hamilton
- Alexander horned ball
- Alexander horned sphere
- Alexander I Island
- Alexander Island
- Alexandrian
- Alexandrine
- alexandrine
- Alistair
- Gates of Alexander
- Lex
- Mount Alexander
- Sandro
- Sandy
- Sasha
- Xan
- Xander
Related terms
Translations
|
Noun
Alexander (plural Alexanders)
- Alternative letter-case form of alexander.
Anagrams
Czech
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): [ˈalɛksandr̩]
Proper noun
Alexander m anim
- a male given name, equivalent to English Alexander
Declension
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | Alexander | Alexanderové, Alexandrové |
| genitive | Alexandera, Alexandra | Alexanderů, Alexandrů |
| dative | Alexanderovi, Alexanderu, Alexandrovi, Alexandru | Alexanderům, Alexandrům |
| accusative | Alexandera, Alexandra | Alexandery, Alexandry |
| vocative | Alexandere, Alexandře | Alexanderové, Alexandrové |
| locative | Alexanderovi, Alexanderu, Alexandrovi, Alexandru | Alexanderech, Alexandrech |
| instrumental | Alexanderem, Alexandrem | Alexandery, Alexandry |
Further reading
- “Alexander”, in Akademický slovník současné češtiny, 2012–2025, slovnikcestiny.cz
- “Alexander”, in Internetová jazyková příručka (in Czech), 2008–2025
Danish
Proper noun
Alexander
- a male given name, equivalent to English Alexander
Related terms
Dutch
Etymology
From Ancient Greek Ἀλέξανδρος (Aléxandros).
Pronunciation
Audio: (file)
Proper noun
Alexander m
- a male given name from Ancient Greek, equivalent to English Alexander
Related terms
German
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): [ˌalɛˈksandɐ]
Audio (Austria): (file) Audio: (file) - Hyphenation: A‧le‧xan‧der
Proper noun
Alexander
- a male given name, feminine equivalent Alexandra or Sandra, equivalent to English Alexander; diminutive forms Alex, Sandro, Sascha
Hungarian
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): [ˈɒlɛksɒndɛr]
- Hyphenation: Ale‧xan‧der
- Rhymes: -ɛr
Proper noun
Alexander
- a male given name
Declension
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | Alexander | Alexanderek |
| accusative | Alexandert | Alexandereket |
| dative | Alexandernek | Alexandereknek |
| instrumental | Alexanderrel | Alexanderekkel |
| causal-final | Alexanderért | Alexanderekért |
| translative | Alexanderré | Alexanderekké |
| terminative | Alexanderig | Alexanderekig |
| essive-formal | Alexanderként | Alexanderekként |
| essive-modal | — | — |
| inessive | Alexanderben | Alexanderekben |
| superessive | Alexanderen | Alexandereken |
| adessive | Alexandernél | Alexandereknél |
| illative | Alexanderbe | Alexanderekbe |
| sublative | Alexanderre | Alexanderekre |
| allative | Alexanderhez | Alexanderekhez |
| elative | Alexanderből | Alexanderekből |
| delative | Alexanderről | Alexanderekről |
| ablative | Alexandertől | Alexanderektől |
| non-attributive possessive – singular |
Alexanderé | Alexandereké |
| non-attributive possessive – plural |
Alexanderéi | Alexanderekéi |
| possessor | single possession | multiple possessions |
|---|---|---|
| 1st person sing. | Alexanderem | Alexandereim |
| 2nd person sing. | Alexandered | Alexandereid |
| 3rd person sing. | Alexandere | Alexanderei |
| 1st person plural | Alexanderünk | Alexandereink |
| 2nd person plural | Alexanderetek | Alexandereitek |
| 3rd person plural | Alexanderük | Alexandereik |
Icelandic
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈaːlɛksantɛ(ː)r/
Proper noun
Alexander m (proper noun, genitive singular Alexanders)
- a male given name, equivalent to English Alexander
Declension
| indefinite singular | |
|---|---|
| nominative | Alexander |
| accusative | Alexander |
| dative | Alexanderi |
| genitive | Alexanders |
Related terms
Latin
Etymology
From Ancient Greek Ἀλέξανδρος (Aléxandros), from ἀλέξω (aléxō, “I defend”) + ἀνδρός (andrós, genitive of ἀνήρ (anḗr, “man”)).
Pronunciation
- (Classical Latin) IPA(key): [a.ɫɛkˈsan.dɛr]
- (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA(key): [a.leɡˈzan̪.d̪er]
Proper noun
Alexander m (genitive Alexandrī); second declension
- A masculine praenomen.
Declension
Second-declension noun (nominative singular in -er).
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | Alexander | Alexandrī |
| genitive | Alexandrī | Alexandrōrum |
| dative | Alexandrō | Alexandrīs |
| accusative | Alexandrum | Alexandrōs |
| ablative | Alexandrō | Alexandrīs |
| vocative | Alexander | Alexandrī |
Descendants
- Corsican: Lisandru
- Emilian: Alessander
- ⇒ Emilian: Alesànder
- Italian: Alessandro
- Sicilian: Alissantru
- Ligurian: Lusciandro
- Lombard: Lissander
- Old Navarro-Aragonese:
- → Asturian: Aleixandre
- Neapolitan: Alessandro
- Old French: Alixandre
- Old Leonese:
- Old Occitan:
- Old Galician-Portuguese: Alexandre
- Old Spanish:
- Piedmontese: Lissànder
- Rhaeto-Romance:
- Friulian: Lissandri
- Sardinian: Lisandru
- Sicilian: Lisciànniru
- Venetan: Lisandru
- → Albanian: Aleksandër
- → Alemannic German: Alexander
- ⇒ Alemannic German: Xandi
- → Aromanian: Alexandru
- → Basque: Alesander
- → Bengali: আলেকজান্ডার (alekojanḍar)
- → Dutch: Alexander
- Afrikaans: Alexander
- → English: Alexander
- → Estonian: Aleksander
- → Faroese: Aleksandur, Alexandur
- → Finnish: Aleksanteri
- → German: Alexander
- → Hebrew: אלכסנדר (aleksánder)
- → Hungarian: Alexander
- ⇒ Hungarian: Sándor
- → Icelandic: Alexander
- → Korean: 알렉산더 (Alleksandeo)
- → Latvian: Aleksandrs
- → Limburgish: Alexander
- → Lithuanian: Aleksándras
- → Livvi: Aleksanderi
- → Low German: Alexander
- → North Frisian: Alexander
- → Norwegian: Alexander, Aleksander
- → Old Danish: Alexander
- Danish: Aleksander, Alexander
- → Greenlandic: Alegsantere, Alassanteri, Aleksantare, Alexandari
- Danish: Aleksander, Alexander
- → Old Irish: Alaxander
- → Old Swedish: Alesant, Alefant, Alexander, Alesantar, Alinsant, Alinsanter, Allexander, Allexandher, Halsand
- Swedish: Alexander, Aleksander
- → Polish: Aleksander
- → Romanian: Alexandru
- → Samogitian: Aleksėndra
- → Scots: Elshinder, Elshinner
- → Silesian: Aleksander
- → Slovene: Aleksander
- → Saterland Frisian: Alexander
- → Swedish: Alexander
- → Thai: อเล็กซานเดอร์ (alèksaanáde)
- → Uzbek: Aleksandr
- → Veps: Alexandr
- → Võro: Aleksandri
- → Welsh: Alecsander
- → West Frisian: Aleksander
- → Yiddish: אַלעקסאַנדער (aleksander)
- → Zealandic: Alexander
- → Zhuang: Ahlijsanda
References
- “Alexander”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
Norwegian
Alternative forms
Proper noun
Alexander
- a male given name, equivalent to English Alexander
Related terms
References
- [1] Statistisk sentralbyrå, Namnestatistikk: 9 615 males with the given name Alexander living in Norway on January 1st 2011, with the frequency peak in the 1980s. Accessed on 19 May, 2011.
Old English
Etymology
From Latin Alexander, from Ancient Greek Ἀλέξανδρος (Aléxandros)
Proper noun
Alexander m
- Alexander the Great
- late 9th century, translation of Orosius’ History Against the Pagans
- On þǣm dagum wæs Alexander ġeboren on Crēcum swā swā ān miċel ȳst cōme ofer ealne middenġeard.
- In those days Alexander was born in Greece, like a great storm coming over all the Earth.
- late 9th century, translation of Orosius’ History Against the Pagans
Declension
Strong a-stem:
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | Alexander | — |
| accusative | Alexander | — |
| genitive | Alexandres | — |
| dative | Alexandre | — |
Portuguese
Etymology
Unadapted borrowing from English Alexander. Doublet of Alexandre and Alessandro.
Proper noun
Alexander m
- a male given name
Scots
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): [ˈalɛksandər]
Proper noun
Alexander
- a male given name from Ancient Greek, equivalent to English Alexander
Derived terms
- (diminutive) Aleck, Eck, Eckie, Sandy, Saundy, Sawnie, Sawney, Sanders, Saunders, Sannock, Sannag, Sannagie
See also
- Elshinder
- Elshinner
- Alistair
Slovak
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈalɛksandɛr/
Proper noun
Alexander m pers (genitive singular Alexandra, nominative plural Alexandrovia, declension pattern of chlap)
- a male given name, equivalent to English Alexander
Declension
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | Alexander | Alexandrovia |
| genitive | Alexandra | Alexandrov |
| dative | Alexandrovi | Alexandrom |
| accusative | Alexandra | Alexandrov |
| locative | Alexandrovi | Alexandroch |
| instrumental | Alexandrom | Alexandrami |
Further reading
- “Alexander”, in Slovníkový portál Jazykovedného ústavu Ľ. Štúra SAV [Dictionary portal of the Ľ. Štúr Institute of Linguistics, Slovak Academy of Science] (in Slovak), https://slovnik.juls.savba.sk, 2003–2025
Spanish
Etymology
Unadapted borrowing from English Alexander. Doublet of Alejandro.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /aleɡˈsandeɾ/ [a.leɣ̞ˈsãn̪.d̪eɾ]
- Rhymes: -andeɾ
- Syllabification: A‧le‧xan‧der
- IPA(key): /alɪɡˈseəndɚ/ [alɪɣ̞ˈseən̪d̪ɚ]
- Rhymes: -eəndɚ
- IPA(key): /ˈælɪɡseəndɚ/ [ˈælɪɣ̞seən̪d̪ɚ]
- Rhymes: -eəndɚ
Proper noun
Alexander m
- a male given name
Swedish
Etymology
Equivalent to English Alexander. First recorded in Sweden (Scania) in 1201.
Pronunciation
Audio: (file)
Proper noun
Alexander c (genitive Alexanders)
- a male given name
Related terms
- (male given names) Alex
- (female names) Alexandra, Sandra
- (surnames) Alexandersson
References
- Roland Otterbjörk: Svenska förnamn, Almqvist & Wiksell 1996, →ISBN
- [2] Statistiska centralbyrån and Sture Allén, Staffan Wåhlin, Förnamnsboken, Norstedts 1995, →ISBN: 70 150 males with the given name Alexander living in Sweden on December 31st, 2010, with the frequency peak in the 1990s. Accessed on 19 June 2011.