UK boy's name
Alexander
A masculine name of Greek origin meaning "defender of men".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Alexander is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Alexander popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #36, with 1,365 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1996, with 4,840 births.
This profile covers 85,525 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 28% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 101,342 living people in the UK are called Alexander. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Alexander ranked #36 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 1,365 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 1996, when 4,840 boys were registered as Alexander.
- • Alexander ranks best in South East in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #3 in 1997.
- • About 101,342 living people in the UK are estimated to have Alexander as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#36
2024
Births in 2024
1,365
Latest year
Peak year
1996
4,840 births
Estimated living
101,342
2026
Meaning
What does Alexander mean?
The name Alexander has its origins in the Greek language, deriving from the word "Alexandros" which means "defender of men" or "protector of men". The name dates back to ancient times, with its earliest known use recorded in classical Greek literature and historical accounts from the 4th century BC.
Alexander was a name borne by several notable figures in ancient Greek history, the most famous being Alexander the Great (356 BC – 323 BC), the legendary Macedonian king who conquered much of the known world in his time. His military campaigns and empire-building efforts played a significant role in the spread and popularity of the name across various regions.
In the Bible, Alexander is mentioned as the name of a Jewish leader and high priest from the 1st century AD, as recorded in the Acts of the Apostles. This early association with religious texts and figures likely contributed to the name's acceptance and usage among different cultures and faiths.
During the Middle Ages, the name Alexander remained popular in various European regions, particularly in the Byzantine Empire and among the nobility. Several notable historical figures carried this name, including Alexander Nevsky (1220 – 1263), the revered Russian prince and military leader who played a crucial role in defending Novgorod against Swedish and Teutonic invasions.
In the Renaissance period, the name gained further prominence with individuals like Alexander VI (1431 – 1503), the controversial Pope who was instrumental in the political and cultural affairs of the time. Another notable figure was Alexander Hamilton (1755 – 1804), one of the Founding Fathers of the United States and the first Secretary of the Treasury.
Other famous individuals named Alexander throughout history include Alexander Pushkin (1799 – 1837), the acclaimed Russian poet and writer often referred to as the father of modern Russian literature, and Alexander Graham Bell (1847 – 1922), the Scottish-born scientist and inventor credited with patenting the first practical telephone.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Alexander over time
The chart below shows babies named Alexander registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Alexander, the clearest high point is 1996. The latest England and Wales figure is 1,365 births in 2024, compared with 4,840 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Alexander by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Alexander was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #30 | 8,211 | 5 |
| 2010s | #23 | 27,206 | 10 |
| 2000s | #21 | 32,159 | 10 |
| 1990s | #17 | 17,949 | 4 |
Geography
Where Alexander is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Alexander. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Alexander ranks best in South East in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #3 in 1997.
Across the UK
Alexander in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#12 in 2024
51 years of NRS records, 15,073 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#38 in 2024
28 years of NISRA records, 1,729 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Alexander
-
Alexander Sutherland
association football player
association football player (born 1987)
1987-
-
Alexander Allan Innis Wedderburn
psychologist; neuroscientist
British psychologist (1935-2017)
1935-2017
Related
Names similar to Alexander
- Alfie 86,546
- Adam 71,855
- Archie 59,965
- Arthur 43,586
- Aaron 36,366
- Alex 32,729
- Andrew 20,169
- Arlo 19,061
- Aidan 16,776
- Albie 16,017
- Albert 15,809
- Aiden 15,654
FAQ
Alexander: questions and answers
How popular is the name Alexander in the UK right now?
In 2024, Alexander was ranked #36 for boys in England and Wales, with 1,365 births registered.
When was Alexander most popular?
The peak year on record was 1996, with 4,840 babies registered as Alexander in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Alexander?
A masculine name of Greek origin meaning "defender of men".
How many people are called Alexander in the UK?
A total of 85,525 babies have been registered as Alexander across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 15,073 more in Scotland and 1,729 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Alexander most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Alexander ranks best in South East, where it placed #3 in 1997. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.