Alexander
Alexander , short Alex , is a male given name, the Greek form is Ἀλέξανδρος Aléxandros . The name means something like "the man defender" or "protector".
The earliest evidence is the son of Priam in the Homeric Iliad , better known today as Paris . Possibly the Hittite name of King Alaksandu of Wilusa from the 13th century BC. To be equated with the Greek form Alexandros . In this case Alexander would be one of the oldest names still used today. The most important name bearer is Alexander the Great . For the female form see Alexandra .
etymology
The starting components of the ancient Greek name Ἀλέξανδρος (Aléxandros) are the verb ἀλέξειν (aléxein) (to ward off, protect, defend) and the noun ὁ ἀνήρ (ho anḗr man, human), whose genitive is singular ἀνδρός (andrós) . But this derivation may be secondary and the origin may be in Asia Minor.
Development to the German name
In contrast to other Greek names, which found their way into the German vocabulary through Christianity (e.g. Georg / Jörg / Jürgen von Georgios = farmer), it was less the church name for Alexander that made its way into German . Rather, Alexander the Great (356–323 BC), King of Macedonia , is the namesake - here, however, not the historical figure, but mostly the hero of the so-called Alexander novel . Thus, Alexander first became a popular first name in the aristocratic and patrician circles who were able to read.
In the 17th century the name went out of fashion and was not revived until the Romantic era (e.g. Alexander von Humboldt ). In the German-speaking world, the short forms Sander , Xander and Zander developed from Alexander at the end of the Middle Ages .
variants
- German - Alexander, Alex, Sander (Mhd.), Xander ( Swabian )
- Albanian - Lekë, Aleksander, Sandër, Skender
- amharic - eskender
- Arabic - Iskandar, Sekandar, Skandar, Skander, Skender
- Bosnian - Skender, Aleksandar, Aco, Saša, Aleksa, Sandro
- Bulgarian - Александър (Aleksander), Сашо (Sasho)
- Catalan - Alexandre, Àlex, Xandre, Alejandro
- Chinese - 亞歷山大 (Yàlìshāndà)
- Danish - Aleksander, Alexander
- English - Alexander, Alec, Alex, Lex, Alexis, Ali, Sandy, Zander, Xander
- Estonian - Aleksander, Sander
- Finnish - eels , Aleksanteri, Aleksi, Alexi , Santeri
- French - Alexandre, Alexis, Alex, Sandre
- Galician - Alexandre, Álex
- Greek - Αλέξανδρος (Alexandros), Alexis, Alekos, Aleka, Aki
- Hebrew - אלכסנדר (Alexander)
- Hindi - Sikandar
- Icelandic - Alexander
- Irish - Alasandar
- Italian - Alessandro , Ale, Sandro, Alessio
- Yiddish - סענדער - Sender, Senderl
- Kazakh - Ескендір (Eskendir)
- Croatian - Aleksandar, Aco, Acika, Saša, Sale
- Kurdish - İskender
- Latvian - Aleksandrs
- Lithuanian - Aleksandras , Aleksas
- Luxembourgish - Alex, Alexis, Lex
- Macedonian - Александар, Алек, Аце, Ацо, Сашо, Сандо
- Malay - Iskandar
- Malayalam - ചാണ്ടി (Chandy)
- Maltese - Lixandru
- Dutch - Alexander, Alex, Lex, Sander, Sanne, Xander , Wander
- Norwegian - Alexander, Aleksander
- Persian - Eskandar
- Polish - Aleksander, Aleks, Olek
- Portuguese - Alexandre, Alexandro, Alex, Xano, Xande, Xanocas
- Romansh - Alesch, Aliesch, Sandri, Sonder, Tschander
- Romanian - Alexandru , Alec, Alex, Alle, Alecu, Sandu
- Russian - Александр ( Aleksandr ), Саша ( Sascha ), Сашка (Saschka), Сашенька (Sashenka), Сашуля (Saschulja), Сашок (Saschok), Саня (Saschok), Саня (Sanjetka), (Sanjetka), Санка Санка (Sanjetka), (Sanjetka), Санка Санка (Sanjetka), (Sanjetka), ), Санюша (Sanjuscha), Шура (Shura), Шурик (Shurik), Алекс (Alex)
- Sanskrit - Alekchendra
- Scottish - Alasdair, Alastair, Alistair, Alisdair
- Serbian - Александар (Aleksandar), Аца (Aca), Саша (Saša), Алекса (Aleksa)
- Slovak - Alexander, Aleš, Alex
- Slovenian - Aleš, Sandi, Sanja, Sandra, Saša, Sašo
- Spanish - Alejandro , Ale, Alejo, Jandro
- Swedish - Alexander
- Turkish - İskender
- Czech - Alexandr, Alex, Saša
- Ukrainian - Олександр ( Oleksandr ), Сашко (Sashko), Олесь (Oles'), Олеґ (Oleg)
- Hungarian - Sándor
- Urdu (Pakistan) - Sikander
- Uzbek - Iskandar
- Belarusian - Аляксандр (Aljaksandr), Алесь (Ales), Алелька (Alyel'ka)
- Alexandris
The female variant is Alexandra .
Name days
- January 6th (Protestant; memorial day of the martyr Alexander Ekkel of Karaganda)
- February 26 (Catholic; Memorial Day of Patriarch Alexander of Alexandria )
- March 16 (Orthodox; Remembrance Day of Pope Alexander I)
- March 18 (Catholic; Memorial Day of Bishop Alexander of Cappadocia )
- April 22nd (Coptic; Memorial Day of Alexander of Alexandria)
- April 24th (Catholic; Alexander von Lyon Memorial Day )
- May 3 (Catholic; memorial day of Alexander I (Bishop of Rome) and of Alexander of Rome (martyr, † 130) )
- May 13 (Orthodox; memorial day of the martyr Alexander of Rome )
- May 29th (Catholic; Memorial Day of the martyr and Ostian Alexander)
- July 10 (Catholic; Alexander of Rome's Day )
- August 11th (Catholic; Memorial Day of Bishop Alexander, the charcoal burner )
- August 18 (Catholic; Pope Alexander VI Memorial Day )
- August 26 (Catholic; Memorial Day of the martyr Alexander of Bergamo , a warrior of the Theban Legion)
- August 30th (Catholic; Remembrance Day of Pope Alexander III )
- October 11 (Catholic; Memorial Day of Bishop Alexander Sauli )
- October 20 (Catholic; Memorial Day of the monk Jakob Franz Alexander Kern )
- November 14th (Orthodox; Memorial Day of Grand Duke Alexander Yaroslawitsch Newski )
- November 30th (Protestant; memorial day of the martyr Alexander Roussel )
- December 22nd (Orthodox; Memorial Day of Alexander of Cappadocia )
Name bearer
Ruler
Alexander as a cognomen
- Marcus Acilius Alexander , Roman officer (imperial era)
Other historical namesake
(chronologically)
- Alexandros , Greek coroplast
- Alexandros Numeniu , Greek rhetorician
- Alexandros of Corinth († 245 BC), Macedonian governor and king of Corinth and Sicyon
- Alexander of Pherai († 358 BC), tyrant in the Thessalian city of Pherai
- Alexandros Aitolus (* around 315 BC), grammarian and poet
- Alexander the Lynkeste († 330 BC), conspirator against Alexander the Great
- Alexander (around 334–314 BC), Macedonian general
- Alexander († probably 277 BC), son of Lysimachus, ruler of Macedonia
- Alexander (around 303–246 / 40 BC), son of Demetrios Poliorketes
- Alexandros , governor of the Seleucids in the 3rd century BC Chr.
- Alexander Polyhistor (around 110–40 BC), Greek author, one of the main sources of the older Pliny
- Alexandros , Greek playwright
- Alexander (around 80 - 49 BC), son of the Jewish king Aristobulus II.
- Alexander Helios (* 40 BC), son of Cleopatra and Marcus Antonius
- Alexander of Rome († 130), Roman martyr
- Alexander of Rome († 165), Roman martyr
- Alexander († 172), Christian martyr and saint
- Alexander von Abonuteichos (around 105–175), ancient priest and mystic
- Alexander von Aphrodisias (turn of the 2nd to the 3rd century), Greek philosopher
- Alexander von Lykonpolis (often also Lykopolis), ancient Greek philosopher (Neo-Platonist); lived in the late 3rd century AD
- Alexander of Hierapolis , Nestorian bishop
- Alexandros Psalidios (6th century), Eastern Roman tax officer
- Alexander von Tralleis (around 525 - 605), Greek doctor of the 6th century
- Alexander von Telese , abbot of the Benedictine monastery of San Salvatore
- Alexander I of Jülich († 1135), Bishop of Liège
- Alexander von Płock († 1156), Bishop of Płock
- Alexander von Hales (around 1185-1245), English scholastic
- The wild Alexander (mid to late 13th century), Middle High German poet of Minnelieder
- Alexander (1264–1284), Scottish prince
- Alexander ben Salomon Wimpfen († 1307), businessman
- Alexander Giffard , English crusader
- Alexander Komnenos (around 1406 - 1460), Trapezuntian prince and co-emperor, son of Emperor Alexios IV.
- Alexander von Lüchau , bailiff and captain von Wunsiedel
- Alexander Henn (1643–1698), German abbot
- Alexander Selkirk (1676–1721), Scottish navigator and model for Robinson Crusoe
- Alexander Pope (1688–1744), English translator ( Iliad , Odyssey ), poet and writer of classicism
- Alexander Ypsilantis (1725–1807), Greco-Romanian scholar
- Alessandro Volta (1745–1827), Italian physicist
- Alexander von Humboldt (1769-1859), German naturalist
- Alexander Friedrich Karl von Württemberg (1771–1833), Russian politician and general
- Alexandros Mavrokordatos (1791–1865), Greek Prime Minister
- Alexander Ypsilantis (1792–1828), general in the struggle for Greek independence
- Alexander Pushkin (1799–1837), Russian national poet and founder of modern Russian literature
- Alexandre Dumas (1802-1870), French writer
- Alexander von Nordmann (1803–1866), botanist and zoologist, namesake of the Nordmann fir (Abies nordmanniana)
- Alexander Paul Ludwig Konstantin von Württemberg (1804–1885), Prince of Württemberg
- Alexander Woskressenski (1809–1880), Russian chemist and discoverer of theobromine
- Alexander Ludwig Georg Friedrich Emil von Hessen und bei Rhein (1823–1888), ancestor of the House of Battenberg
- Alexander Borodin (1833–1887), Russian chemist, physician and composer
- Alexander Friedrich Wilhelm von Württemberg (1840–1881), Duke of Württemberg
- Alexander von Oldenburg (1844–1932), Russian nobleman and military man
- Alexander Graham Bell (* 1847–1922), British-American audiologist, inventor and major entrepreneur
- Alexander Glasunow (1865–1936), Russian composer
- Alexander Scriabin (1872–1915), Russian pianist and composer
- Alexander von Salzmann (1874–1934), painter, set designer and caricaturist
- Alexander Fleming (1881–1955), Scottish physician and bacteriologist, discoverer of the antibiotic penicillin
- Alexander Friedmann (1888–1925), Russian physicist, geophysicist and mathematician
- Alexander Solzhenitsyn (1918–2008), Russian writer
- Alexander Dubček (1921–1992), Czechoslovak and Slovak politician
- Alexander Haig (1924–2010), American officer and politician
- Alexander Schalck-Golodkowski (1932–2015), German politician (SED), colonel in the MfS and economic functionary in the GDR
Name bearers of the present
(Alphabetical)
- Alexander of Sweden (* 2016), Swedish Prince, Duke of Södermanland
- Alexander Rae Baldwin III (born 1958), American actor, known as Alec Baldwin
- Alexander Bommes (* 1976), German television presenter and former handball player
- Alexander Dobrindt (* 1970), German politician (CSU)
- Alexander Duda (* 1955), German actor
- Alexander Dwornikow (* 1961), Russian Colonel General
- Alexander Esswein (* 1990), German soccer player
- Alexander Fischer (* 1963), German politician (SPD) and mayor
- Alexander Gauland (* 1941), German politician (AfD)
- Alexander Gerst (* 1976), German geophysicist and astronaut
- Alexander Herrmann (* 1971), German chef, restaurateur, television chef and cookbook author
- Alexander Hold (* 1962), German judge and actor
- Alexander Klaws (* 1983), German pop singer
- Alexander Graf Lambsdorff (* 1966), German politician (FDP)
- Alexander Markgraf (* 1981), German chess player and trainer
- Alexander Mayer (* 1960), German historian, publicist, photographer and musician
- Alexander Mazza (* 1972), German television presenter and actor
- Alexander Nübel (* 1996), German soccer player
- Alexander Ovechkin (* 1985), Russian ice hockey player
- Alexander O'Neal (born 1953), American R&B singer
- Alexander Pusch (* 1955), German sword fencer
- Alexander Rybak (* 1986), Belarusian-Norwegian singer, violinist, composer and actor
- Alexander Samedov (* 1984), Russian football player
- Alexander Skarsgård (* 1976), Swedish actor and director
- Alexander Sobolew (* 1997), Russian football player
- Alexander Sumski (* 1933), Romanian-German musicologist, pianist, conductor, composer and former university music director in Tübingen
- Alexander Van der Bellen (* 1944), Austrian politician (Greens) and incumbent Federal President
- Alexander Maria Wagner (* 1995), German composer and pianist
- Alexander Zverev (* 1997), German tennis player
"Aleksandr" and similar variants
- Aleksandr Kan SJ (* 1963), Apostolic Superior of the Roman Catholic Church in Kyrgyzstan
- Aleksandr Spendiarjan (1871–1928), Armenian composer
- Aleksandre Qasbegi (1848-1893), Georgian writer
- Aleksandre Lomaia (* 1963), Georgian politician
- Aleksandrs Čaks (1901–1950), Latvian poet and writer
- Alexandre Mnouchkine (Aleksandr Mnushkin; 1908–1993), Russian-French film producer
- Aljaksandr Lukashenka (Aleksandr Lukashenko; * 1954), the President of Belarus since 1994
- Aljaksandr Milinkewitsch (Aleksandr Milinkewitsch; * 1947), Belarusian politician and physicist
Variant "Oleksandr"
- Oleksandr Bejderman (* 1949), Jewish-Ukrainian writer and philologist
- Oleksandr Dowschenko (1894–1956), Soviet director and writer
- Oleksandr Gnylytsky (1961–2009), Ukrainian painter
- Oleksandr Horschkowosow (* 1991), Ukrainian water diver
- Oleksandr Karaulschtschuk (* 1983), Ukrainian ice hockey player
- Oleksandr Kratow (* 1985), Ukrainian orienteer
- Oleksandr Moros (* 1944), Ukrainian politician
- Oleksandr Onishchenko (* 1969), Ukrainian billionaire and equestrian patron
- Oleksandr Palamar (* 1987), Ukrainian billiards player
- Oleksandr Ponomarjow (* 1973), Ukrainian singer
- Oleksandr Zinchenko (1957–2010), Ukrainian politician
stage name
- Alexander , pseudonym of Ernst Herbeck (1920–1991), Austrian poet and painter
Biblical persons
There are five people named Alexander mentioned in the New Testament:
- a son of Simon of Cyrene (Mk 15, 21)
- a high priest (Acts 4, 6)
- a Jew from Ephesus (Acts 19:33)
- a Christian ostracized by Paul (1 Timothy 1:20)
- a blacksmith in the time of the apostle Paul (2 Tim 4:14)
See also
- Alexander (family name) - for namesake see there
- Alexandros (Euripides) , Tragedy by Euripides
swell
- ↑ Alexander Demandt : Alexander the Great. Life and legend. Beck, Munich 2009, ISBN 978-3-406-59085-6 , p. 58.
- ↑ Rosa Kohlheim, Volker Kohlheim: Duden. The great first name dictionary. 3rd edition, Mannheim u. a. 2007, p. 46f.
- ↑ Alexander Demandt: Ancient forms of government. A Comparative Constitutional History of the Old World. Akademie-Verlag, Berlin 1995, ISBN 3-05-002794-0 , p. 267.
Web link
- ALEXIKON: For everyone who is called Alex or otherwise Monothematic weblog for the first and last name Alexander .