Names That Mean Defending

A name that is rarely heard and might be worth considering as a way of zipping up a namesake Sandra. It has long been associated with iconoclastic British fashion designer Zandra Rhodes.

What's the difference between Alexander, the usual English spelling of this deeply classical name, and Alexandre, the French version? English speakers might find the proper French pronunciation challenging: a-lehk-SAHN-dreh, but that last syllable is barely pronounced. Americans might an an a or an ee on the end of the name, or simply pronounce it as Alexander, for better or worse.

Urdu and Pashto form of Alexander

Commonly heard as a nickname for Alejandro, but a rare sight on the birth certificate. Ale has only made the US charts for boys twice, once in 2005 and again in 2018.

One of many variants of the classic Alexander — this particular one is used in Ukraine.

Shura is a unisex Russian nickname for Aleksandr or Aleksandra, themselves forms of Alexander. Less known in the English-speaking world than Sasha, it's also more assertive — probably because of that "sure" sound.

Very popular on its native turf, foreign-sounding here.

One of many variants of the classic Alexander — this particular one is used in South Slavic countries.

With the new fashion in the US for S-ending surname-names, Saunders could see some use.

Variation of Alexander.

An alternative to Sasha, another common Russian nickname for Aleksandra.

One of the many attractive variations of the classic Alexander.

Sander is a more conventional form of Zander or Xander, heard frequently on its own in Europe. It is now a Top 20 name in Norway, and is also popular in Denmark, Belgium and the Netherlands. 

One of the many attractive variations of the classic Alexander.

Common as an independent name in Slovenia.

If Sasha feels just a tad too dull, you may like the evocative Sasheya — used as a diminutive of Alexandra in Slavic regions.

Aleksej is the Slovene form of Alexios, making it a cognate of Alexis.

Cool, gender-neutral short form of Alexandra and company.

Removing one letter from the somewhat intimidating Alexios gives you Alexio, a charming and more accessible variation.