NameCensus.

UK surname

Alexander

A patronymic surname derived from the given name Alexander, meaning "defender of the people" in Greek.

In the 1881 census there were 15,837 people recorded with the Alexander surname, ranking it #250 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 25,161, ranked #227, up from #250 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Govan Combination and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Annbank, Mossblown and Tarbolton - the Coalfields, Caithness North East and East Staffordshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Alexander is 25,293 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 58.9%.

1881 census count

15,837

Ranked #250

Modern count

25,161

2016, ranked #227

Peak year

2014

25,293 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Alexander had 15,837 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #250 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 25,161 in 2016, ranked #227.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 19,661 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Alexander surname distribution map

The map shows where the Alexander surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Alexander surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Alexander over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 11,460 #213
1861 historical 12,014 #200
1881 historical 15,837 #250
1891 historical 17,525 #227
1901 historical 19,661 #250
1911 historical 12,445 #394
1997 modern 23,099 #246
1998 modern 23,988 #245
1999 modern 24,198 #244
2000 modern 24,352 #242
2001 modern 23,631 #245
2002 modern 24,307 #240
2003 modern 23,691 #240
2004 modern 23,784 #237
2005 modern 23,548 #233
2006 modern 23,586 #232
2007 modern 23,810 #233
2008 modern 23,855 #234
2009 modern 24,423 #236
2010 modern 25,145 #231
2011 modern 24,767 #232
2012 modern 24,400 #231
2013 modern 25,016 #230
2014 modern 25,293 #229
2015 modern 25,130 #229
2016 modern 25,161 #227

Geography

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Where Alexanders are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Govan Combination, Edinburgh and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Annbank, Mossblown and Tarbolton - the Coalfields, Caithness North East, East Staffordshire, Basingstoke and Deane and Mid Suffolk. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 London parishes London 1
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 London parishes London 3
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Annbank, Mossblown and Tarbolton - the Coalfields South Ayrshire
2 Caithness North East Highland
3 East Staffordshire 011 East Staffordshire
4 Basingstoke and Deane 001 Basingstoke and Deane
5 Mid Suffolk 005 Mid Suffolk

Forenames

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First names often paired with Alexander

These lists show first names that appear often with the Alexander surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Alexander

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Alexander, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Alexander surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Alexander household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Alexander is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Alexander is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Alexander falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Alexander is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Alexander, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Alexander

The surname Alexander is derived from the Greek name Alexandros, which means "defender of men." This name has its origins in ancient Greece and is believed to have first appeared in the 4th century BC.

The name Alexander is thought to have spread across Europe during the time of the Roman Empire, as Greek culture and language had a significant influence on the Romans. Some of the earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in medieval manuscripts and records from various European regions.

One of the most notable bearers of this surname was Alexander the Great, the legendary Macedonian king who lived from 356 BC to 323 BC and conquered much of the known world at that time. His conquests and exploits helped to spread the name Alexander throughout the lands he conquered.

In Britain, the surname Alexander can be traced back to the Norman Conquest of 1066. It is believed that some of the Norman invaders bore this name, and it was subsequently adopted by the local population. The Domesday Book, a record of landowners compiled in 1086, includes several entries for individuals with the surname Alexander.

Another famous bearer of this surname was Alexander Nevsky, a prince of Novgorod and Grand Prince of Vladimir who lived from 1220 to 1263. He is revered as a national hero in Russia for his military victories against the Swedes and the Teutonic Knights.

During the Renaissance period, the name Alexander gained further popularity due to the influence of classical Greek and Roman culture. Notable individuals with this surname include Alexander Hamilton (1755-1804), one of the Founding Fathers of the United States and the first Secretary of the Treasury.

Other historical figures with the surname Alexander include Samuel Alexander (1859-1938), a British philosopher and one of the founders of the school of thought known as British Idealism, and Sir William Alexander (1567-1640), a Scottish poet and courtier who was granted a large territory in North America, which he named Nova Scotia.

Throughout history, the surname Alexander has been associated with various place names and has undergone various spelling variations, such as Alesaundre, Alisaundre, and Alysaundre, reflecting the linguistic and cultural influences of different regions and time periods.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Alexander families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Alexander surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Lanarkshire leads with 1,928 Alexanders recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.86x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 1,928 3.86x
Middlesex 1,629 1.05x
Midlothian 1,009 4.87x
Surrey 929 1.23x
Angus 921 6.43x
Aberdeenshire 866 6.05x
Ayrshire 664 5.74x
Lancashire 658 0.36x
Hampshire 489 1.54x
Renfrewshire 444 3.71x
Wiltshire 385 2.82x
Norfolk 367 1.54x
Northumberland 358 1.56x
Kent 330 0.63x
Suffolk 310 1.65x
Yorkshire 303 0.20x
Durham 281 0.61x
Fife 244 2.67x
Berkshire 204 1.76x
Perthshire 203 2.92x
Essex 202 0.66x
Caithness 159 7.51x
Banffshire 149 4.65x
West Lothian 141 6.05x
Glamorgan 135 0.50x
Warwickshire 132 0.34x
Somerset 130 0.52x
Gloucestershire 124 0.41x
Wigtownshire 120 5.84x
Staffordshire 116 0.22x
Cheshire 114 0.33x
Dunbartonshire 111 2.67x
Stirlingshire 110 1.93x
Kincardineshire 107 5.68x
Morayshire 81 3.37x
Clackmannanshire 79 6.19x
Cumberland 73 0.55x
Lincolnshire 66 0.27x
Kirkcudbrightshire 63 2.81x
Sussex 62 0.24x
Devon 61 0.19x
Shropshire 51 0.38x
Argyllshire 50 1.16x
Hertfordshire 43 0.40x
Inverness-shire 43 0.93x
Channel Islands 42 0.92x
East Lothian 42 2.05x
Oxfordshire 39 0.41x
Roxburghshire 38 1.36x
Buteshire 36 3.84x
Monmouthshire 36 0.32x
Berwickshire 35 1.87x
Orkney 35 2.06x
Peeblesshire 35 4.81x
Derbyshire 33 0.14x
Dumfriesshire 29 0.85x
Worcestershire 29 0.14x
Buckinghamshire 28 0.30x
Nottinghamshire 28 0.13x
Bedfordshire 25 0.31x
Westmorland 25 0.74x
Herefordshire 24 0.38x
Selkirkshire 24 1.72x
Northamptonshire 22 0.15x
Nairnshire 20 4.24x
Brecknockshire 19 0.61x
Royal Navy 19 1.03x
Rutland 18 1.59x
Cornwall 17 0.10x
Leicestershire 17 0.10x
Dorset 14 0.14x
Isle of Man 11 0.38x
Flintshire 10 0.24x
Sutherland 10 0.84x
Kinross-shire 8 2.05x
Pembrokeshire 8 0.16x
Ross-shire 7 0.16x
Cambridgeshire 6 0.06x
Anglesey 5 0.18x
Merionethshire 3 0.11x
Carmarthenshire 2 0.03x
Denbighshire 2 0.03x
Huntingdonshire 2 0.07x
Montgomeryshire 2 0.06x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.02x
Shetland 1 0.06x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Barony in Lanarkshire leads with 550 Alexanders recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.35x.

Place Total Index
Barony 550 4.35x
Govan 548 4.43x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 429 5.15x
Glasgow 351 3.95x
Dundee 299 5.59x
Aberdeen Old Machar 145 4.85x
Lambeth 139 1.03x
Kensington London 119 1.38x
Islington London 118 0.79x
South Leith 114 4.89x
St Pancras London 113 0.91x
St Marylebone London 112 1.36x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 108 4.03x
Camberwell 104 1.05x
Montrose 90 10.37x
Hackney London 89 1.03x
Wick 87 12.72x
Paddington London 83 1.46x
Mile End Old Town London 82 2.49x
West Greenock 81 3.77x
Peterhead 79 10.43x
Kilmarnock 77 5.59x
Liverpool 77 0.69x
Shoreditch London 75 1.12x
St Vigeans 74 9.57x
Bothwell 73 5.38x
Croydon 69 1.65x
Birmingham 68 0.52x
Newington 64 1.12x
Paisley High Church 63 6.60x
North Leith 61 6.36x
Everton 59 1.01x
Urchfont 59 105.36x
Chelsea London 58 1.24x
Kirkmaiden 58 44.63x
Forfar 57 7.35x
Abbey 55 3.01x
Newton On Ayr 55 15.87x
Cruden 54 29.28x
West Ham 54 0.80x
Dunfermline 53 3.77x
Toxteth Park 52 0.84x
Fyvie 51 21.82x
Portsea 51 0.82x
Whitechapel London 50 3.28x
Bromley London 49 1.44x
East Greenock 48 4.24x
Stewarton 48 20.96x
Battersea 47 0.83x
Great Yarmouth 46 2.34x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 46 3.35x
Hamilton 45 3.23x
Bermondsey 44 0.96x
Gateshead 44 1.28x
Monifieth 44 8.70x
Harborne 42 2.51x
Liberton 42 13.13x
Cambusnethan 41 3.69x
Carnwath 41 13.26x
Kirkintilloch 41 7.26x
St George Hanover Square 41 1.50x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 40 2.01x
Kingston On Thames 39 2.15x
Arbroath 38 8.00x
Gamrie 38 10.61x
Kirriemuir 37 10.47x
Ayr 36 6.59x
Falkirk 36 2.70x
Alloa 35 5.65x
Ardrossan 35 8.74x
Forgue 35 27.21x
Perth West Church 35 10.63x
Wandsworth 35 2.35x
Westoe 34 1.30x
Limehouse London 33 1.94x
Maryhill 33 3.37x
Drainie 32 15.03x
Inverness 32 2.75x
Ipswich St Margaret 32 5.01x
Kirkdale 32 1.04x
Twickenham 32 4.83x
Auckinleck 31 8.65x
Cathcart 31 4.78x
St Andrews 31 7.44x
Paisley Low Church 30 7.91x
Turriff 30 12.98x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Alexander surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 473
Elizabeth 285
Sarah 224
Jane 162
Ann 136
Ellen 130
Eliza 124
Emma 118
Alice 112
Annie 106
Emily 104
Margaret 97
Catherine 60
Hannah 60
Florence 58
Louisa 58
Martha 54
Edith 52
Maria 48
Harriet 46
Isabella 46
Charlotte 45
Fanny 42
Caroline 40
Frances 40
Kate 37
Jessie 36
Ada 34
Rose 34
Agnes 32
Julia 32
Rebecca 31
Amelia 28
Clara 28
Susan 27
Esther 23
Lucy 23
Anna 22
Harriett 22
Anne 21
Eleanor 20
Matilda 20
Sophia 20
Helen 19
Beatrice 17
Laura 15
Amy 14
Rachel 14
Ethel 13
Minnie 13

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Alexander surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
William 545
John 378
George 295
James 284
Thomas 200
Henry 187
Charles 152
Robert 142
Joseph 135
Alfred 91
Edward 87
Arthur 70
Frederick 69
Albert 61
David 51
Walter 51
Samuel 44
Richard 39
Harry 38
Frank 37
Francis 35
Ernest 33
Wm. 32
Alexander 28
Herbert 24
Benjamin 19
Edwin 18
Daniel 17
Andrew 16
Geo. 15
Sidney 15
Isaac 13
Stephen 13
Fredk. 12
Matthew 11
Thos. 10
Hugh 9
Jas. 9
Philip 9
Sydney 9
Fredrick 8
Louis 8
Peter 8
Robt. 8
Tom 8
Chas. 7
Lewis 7
Mark 7
Michael 7
Percy 7

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Alexander households.

FAQ

Alexander surname: questions and answers

How common was the Alexander surname in 1881?

In 1881, 15,837 people were recorded with the Alexander surname. That placed it at #250 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Alexander surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 25,161 in 2016. That gives Alexander a modern rank of #227.

What does the Alexander surname mean?

A patronymic surname derived from the given name Alexander, meaning "defender of the people" in Greek.

What does the Alexander map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Alexander bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.