Noah Boy
NOH-uh
“rest, comfort” · Hebrew
#2
Aleksandr
BoyRussian, Greek· “Russian form of Alexander, "defender of men"”
- Meaning
- Russian form of Alexander, "defender of men"
- Origin
- Russian, Greek
- Pronunciation
- a-lehk-SAN-dur
- Syllables
- 4
- US rank 2025
- #2,837
- US babies 2025
- 44
- Best rank
- #1,992 (2016)
- Peak year
- 2016
Meaning and origin of Aleksandr
Aleksandr is a Russian and Greek name that means “Russian form of Alexander, "defender of men"”.
Aleksandr is the Russian form of Alexander, from the Greek Alexandros, "defender of men." Alexander the Great spread the name across the ancient world. In Russia it was borne by the tsars Alexander I, II and III, and by the poet Aleksandr Pushkin and the novelist Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. It is said a-lehk-SAN-dur in English, while Russian puts the stress on the last syllable. Sasha, Sanya and Shura are traditional Russian nicknames, and the feminine form is Aleksandra.
Other spellings with the same sound: Aleksander.
Popularity over time
Aleksandr first appears in US Social Security records in 1971. It has never ranked in the national top 1,000, which keeps it genuinely uncommon. Its best national rank was #1,992 in 2016, the same year it reached its highest count of 72 babies. In 2025, 44 babies were named Aleksandr, and it ranked #2,837 nationally. Its use has been fairly steady over the past decade.
Its national rank moved from #4,147 in 1980, #2,868 in 2000, #2,145 in 2010, and #2,837 in 2025. Of the 1,675 US boys named Aleksandr since records began, 34% were born in the 2010s, its biggest decade. The 2000s come next, with 386 babies.
Other boys' names that peaked around the same time include Bram, Patton, Tytan, Jeter, and Yuvraj.
Gender, sound and spelling
In the US it is used almost only for boys.
Aleksandr is usually pronounced a-lehk-SAN-dur, with four syllables. It has nine letters, starts with A and ends in “-dr”. Names that sound the same but are spelled differently include Aleksander.
Middle names for Aleksandr
A few middle names that flow with Aleksandr: each avoids a matching first letter, a rhyme and a vowel clash where the names meet.
Sibling names for Aleksandr
Similar names
Demetrius Boy
dih-MEE-tree-uhs
“follower of Demeter” · Greek
#1,229
Alexander Boy
a-lihg-ZAN-dur
“defender of men” · Greek
#30
Nikolai Boy
NIH-kuh-ly
“victory of the people” · Russian
#605
Leonidas Boy
lee-AH-nih-duhs
“son of the lion” · Greek
#510
Alessandro Boy
ah-leh-SAHN-droh
“defender of men” · Italian
#497
Alexzander Boy
al-ihg-ZAN-dur
“variant of Alexander, 'defender of the people'” · American (modern coinage)
#2,126
Dimitri Boy
dih-MEE-tree
“follower of Demeter” · Russian
#1,101
Nikita Unisex
nih-KEE-tuh
“unconquered” · Russian
#4,217
Vladimir Boy
VLAD-uh-meer
“rule with peace” · Russian
#1,836
Andrei Boy
ahn-DRAY
“form of Andrew, manly” · Russian
#2,517
Dmitri Boy
duh-MEE-tree
“devoted to Demeter” · Russian
#3,465
Nicodemus Boy
nik-uh-DEE-mus
“victory of the people” · Greek
#2,826
Lists that include Aleksandr
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Aleksandr mean?
Aleksandr is a Russian and Greek name that means “Russian form of Alexander, "defender of men"”.
What is the origin of the name Aleksandr?
Aleksandr has Russian and Greek roots. Aleksandr is the Russian form of Alexander, from the Greek Alexandros, "defender of men." Alexander the Great spread the name across the ancient world.
Is Aleksandr a popular name?
Not especially. Aleksandr ranked #2,837 in the US in 2025, which puts it outside the top 1,000.
Is Aleksandr a boy or girl name?
Aleksandr is mainly a boy's name. In the US it is used almost only for boys.
How do you pronounce Aleksandr?
Aleksandr is usually pronounced a-lehk-SAN-dur. Stressed syllables are in capital letters.
Popularity figures come from US Social Security card applications (names given to at least five babies in a year, 1880 to 2025). How we source names and meanings