Aleksander
Variant of the masculine name Alexander, derived from the Greek meaning "defender of mankind".
Name Census estimates that about 3,981 living Americans carry the first name Aleksander. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Aleksander today is around 17 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Aleksander births was 2014 (171 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Aleksander. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Aleksander is a relatively new arrival in the SSA data. The average bearer is just 17 years old, meaning it gained most of its traction in the last two decades.
People living today
4.0K
~ 1 in 86,098 Americans
Peak year
2014
171 babies that year
Average age
17
years old
2024 SSA rank
#1,671
Tracked since 1918
Popularity
Aleksander: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Aleksander from the 1910s through to the 2020s, spanning 8 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 1,480 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Aleksander remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Aleksander by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Aleksander during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Aleksanders live
The SSA's state-level files cover 22 states and territories. California, Illinois, New York recorded the most babies named Aleksander, while Utah, Wisconsin, Oregon recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 108 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Aleksander
The name Aleksander has its origins in the Greek language, derived from the words "alexo" meaning "to defend" and "andros" meaning "man." It is believed to have been in use as early as the 4th century BC in ancient Greece and Macedonia. The name was popularized by Alexander the Great, one of the most renowned military leaders in history, who lived from 356 BC to 323 BC and conquered a vast empire stretching from Greece to India.
In ancient texts, the name Aleksander appears in various forms, such as "Alexandros" or "Alexandrus," reflecting regional variations in pronunciation and spelling. It was a common name among the Macedonian ruling class and aristocracy, but its popularity spread throughout the Hellenistic world following Alexander the Great's conquests.
The name Aleksander gained further prominence in the Christian tradition, with several early saints and martyrs bearing the name. One notable figure was Saint Alexander of Alexandria, a 3rd-century Patriarch of Alexandria who played a crucial role in the formulation of the Nicene Creed.
Throughout history, numerous rulers, military leaders, and influential figures have carried the name Aleksander. In the 14th century, Aleksander Mikhailovich was the Grand Prince of Tver and a prominent figure in the struggle against the Mongol Golden Horde. Aleksander Nevsky, a 13th-century prince who led Russian forces against Swedish and German invaders, was canonized as a saint in the Russian Orthodox Church.
In the 16th century, Aleksander Jagiellon was the King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, known for his efforts to reform the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Aleksander Pushkin, born in 1799, was a renowned Russian poet and writer who is considered the founder of modern Russian literature.
Another notable figure was Aleksander Graham Bell, the Scottish-born inventor best known for patenting the first practical telephone in 1876. Aleksander Solzhenitsyn, a Russian novelist and critic of the Soviet regime, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1970 for his literary works and commitment to human rights.
These are just a few examples of the many individuals throughout history who have borne the name Aleksander, reflecting its enduring popularity and significance across various cultures and time periods.
People
Aleksander + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Aleksander as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with A
Other first names starting with A with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Aleksander: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Aleksander?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 3,981 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Aleksander going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 86,098 US residents.
Is Aleksander a common name?
We classify Aleksander as "Rare". It ranks above 96% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 4,040 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Aleksander most popular?
The single biggest year for Aleksander was 2014, when 171 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Aleksander is about 17 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Aleksander a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Aleksander in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.