Given name & surname
Alexandra
“helper and defender of mankind”
Alexandra is a feminine form of Alexander. One Greek interpretation is “helper and defender of mankind.”
Original GreekΑλεξάνδρα
Meaning & origin
What it means
In Greek use, Alexandra carries the interpretation “helper and defender of mankind.” Alexandra is a feminine form of Alexander. One Greek interpretation is “helper and defender of mankind.”
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Greek.
How it developed
Alexandra is used as a feminine counterpart of Alexander.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1894. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
In the Bible
In the Bible, the name Alexandra appears in Acts 6:9, Mark 15:21, Acts 4:6 and 1 other passage.
- Acts 6:9
- Mark 15:21
- Acts 4:6
- 1 Timothy 1:20
From biblical name research
Alexandra through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 246,320
- 869 boys · 245,451 girls
- Most popular year
- 1993
- 10,720 babies
- 2025
- 1,314
- #237 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −38%
- Cooling
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 1,314 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 237 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 37.7% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 10,683 in 1993. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (195). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 229,437 as a first name in 2020; 529 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Alexandra’s family of names
In French usage, Alexandra has a diminutive in Sandra. In Norwegian Bokmål usage, Alexandra is a feminine form of Alexander. Alexandra has a related form in Alexis.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Alexandra has relatives in 28 languages. Lines run from its Ancient Greek roots to each of them.
Ancient Greekwhere Alexandra comes from · 1 name
Nicknames & forms 66
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Alinashort form · German
- Alexshort form · Norwegian Bokmål, French
- Alexisvariant
- Alessandravariant · Italian
- Alliediminutive · English
- Sashadiminutive · French, English
- Alejandravariant · Spanish, English
- Lexidiminutive · English
Show 52 moreShow fewer
- Alenashort form · German
- Alondravariant
- Alexadiminutive · French, English
- Alexiavariant · Swedish
- Sandrashort form · Swedish, Norwegian Bokmål
- Lexiediminutive · English
- Allydiminutive · English
- Sandydiminutive · English
- Lexdiminutive · English
- Alydiminutive · English
- Aleksandravariant · Norwegian Bokmål, Polish
- Alexivariant
- Alixshort form · German
- Lexashort form · English
- Lexypet form
- Xanadiminutive · Portuguese
- Sanyapet form
- Alexandreavariant
- Alyxvariant
- Alexusvariant
- Xandriavariant · English
- Alyssandravariant
- Alexsandravariant
- Sandidiminutive · English
- Alexysvariant
- Alexxandralikely variant
- Alexanndralikely variant
- Allexandralikely variant
- Lexeediminutive · English
- Alexondravariant · English
- Alandravariant · English
- Sandiediminutive · English
- Xandrashort form · English
- Sandaclipped form · Romanian
- Xandiminutive · English
- Alexinevariant
- Alexinavariant
- Alexaviavariant
- Alexandrinevariant · German
- Alekavariant
- Alejandrinavariant
- Alexandrinavariant · German
- Alixandravariant
- Alexandrralikely variant
- Alexanddralikely variant
- Sašavariant · Slovak, Czech
- Axeliavariant
- Alexandteavariant
- Alexandrianavariant
- Alexandinavariant
- Alewndrinavariant
- Alewndravariant
And 6 more.
Spellings & scripts 3
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 33
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- ΑλεξάνδραGreek
- Ἀλεξάνδραsource · Ancient Greek
- Alexandermasculine form · Slovene, Swedish
- Alexandriaequivalent
- Alexandremasculine form · French
- Sacharelated form
- Andraequivalent
- Lysandrarelated form
Show 25 moreShow fewer
- Alexandrmasculine form · Czech
- Alexandruhas masculine form
- Sandrinerelated form
- Olesiarelated form
- Drinarelated form
- Zandrarelated form
- Sanniequivalent
- Αλεξίαequivalent
- Aliaksandraequivalent
- ⲁⲗⲉⲝⲁⲛⲇⲣⲁequivalent
- Алесандраequivalent
- Олександраequivalent
- Аляксандраequivalent
- Ritsarelated form
- Lyssanrelated form
- Alestarelated form
- Alastrinarelated form
- Αλέξιαequivalent
- Αλεξάντραequivalent
- Αλέκαequivalent
- 𐀀𐀩𐀏𐀭𐀅𐀨gmy
- Oleksandraizh
- AlistreeneyManx
- AlexandràOccitan
- Ἀλέξανδροςmasculine form · Norwegian Bokmål
See also 5
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Alexandra
- Alexandra KollontaiSoviet revolutionary, ambassador, diplomat, feminist1872–1952
- Alexandra DaddarioAmerican actress (born 1986)
- Alexandra FeodorovnaEmpress consort of Russia (1872–1918)
- Alexandra of DenmarkQueen consort of the United Kingdom from 1901 to 19101844–1925
- Alexandra KosteniukRussian and Swiss chess playerborn 1984
- Alexandra David-NéelFrench explorer, spiritualist, Buddhist, Taoist, anarchist and writer1868–1969
- Alexandra StanRomanian singerborn 1989
- Alexandra Maria LaraGerman actressborn 1978
- Alexandra ElbakyanKazakh computer scientist and founder of Sci-Hubborn 1988
Characters named Alexandra: Alex Russo (Fictional character on TV sitcom Wizards of Waverly Place, portrayed by Selena Gomez), Lexie Grey (the television show Grey's Anatomy), Alexandra Cabot (fictional character on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
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