Exander
A masculine name meaning "defender of men" or "protector of humankind".
Name Census estimates that about 122 living Americans carry the first name Exander. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Exander today is around 11 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Exander births was 2011 (10 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Exander. 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.
People living today
122
~ 1 in 2,809,462 Americans
Peak year
2011
10 babies that year
Average age
11
years old
2024 SSA rank
#12,837
Tracked since 2004
Popularity
Exander: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Exander from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 69 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Exander remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Exander 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 Exander during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Exander
The given name Exander has its roots in Ancient Greek culture, originating from the combination of two Greek words: "exo" meaning "out" or "outside," and "andros" meaning "man" or "warrior." This amalgamation suggests a connotation of an outsider, a wanderer, or a brave individual who ventures beyond conventional boundaries.
Historically, the earliest recorded instance of the name Exander can be traced back to the 5th century BCE, where it appeared in a fragmentary Athenian play. However, it is believed to have been in use even earlier, possibly as a designation for explorers, adventurers, or soldiers who embarked on expeditions beyond the borders of ancient Greek city-states.
In the realm of ancient literature, the name Exander is notably absent from major works such as the Iliad or the Odyssey. However, it does appear in a few lesser-known texts and inscriptions from the Hellenistic period, indicating its continued usage, albeit in a limited capacity.
The first prominent figure to bear the name Exander was a military commander from the city-state of Corinth, who lived in the 4th century BCE. He is mentioned in historical records for his role in leading Corinthian forces during the Peloponnesian War against Athens.
Another notable Exander was a philosopher from the 3rd century BCE, who was a student of the renowned Stoic thinker Zeno of Citium. This Exander is credited with contributing to the development of Stoic philosophy, although few details about his life and teachings have survived.
In the 2nd century CE, an Exander from Alexandria is said to have been a renowned mathematician and astronomer. His work, unfortunately, has been lost to time, but he is mentioned in the writings of other scholars from that era.
During the Byzantine period, an Exander served as a high-ranking military commander in the 10th century CE. He is recorded as having led successful campaigns against invading forces, earning him recognition and respect among his contemporaries.
In the realm of literature, an Exander is mentioned as a character in a 12th-century Greek novel titled "Rhodanthe and Dosicles." However, his role in the narrative is relatively minor, and little is known about the author's intentions behind the choice of this name.
People
Exander + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Exander as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with E
Other first names starting with E with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Exander: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Exander?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 122 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Exander 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 2,809,462 US residents.
Is Exander a common name?
We classify Exander as "Very Rare". It ranks above 67.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 123 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Exander most popular?
The single biggest year for Exander was 2011, when 10 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Exander is about 11 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Exander in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Exander a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Exander 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.
Is Exander still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Exander in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Exander can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have Exander as a first name?
If you just want to know how many people have the name Exander, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.