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Xander

The name Xander peaked for girls at #10254 in 2021. Xander is also used for boys, ranking #259 in 2025.

The name Xander is a boy's name of Greek origin meaning "defending men".

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Xander is a diminutive of Alexander, the Latin variation of the Greek Alexandros. Its meaning, "defending men," is taken from the Greek roots aléxein, "to defend," and andros, "men." Zander, pronounced the same way, is an alternate spelling.
 
One of the newer short forms of Alexander, Xander is a spelling that first saw the spotlight via Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and then as Vin Diesel's character in XXX. Mad Men star January Jones named her son Xander Dane.
 
Even shorter forms Xan and Zan are now also being used on their own. Xan is a character in the P. D. James novel The Children of Men and is a favorite choice of computer game creators.

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The name Xander is currently ranked #259 in U.S. births. and peaked for boys at #164 in 2017. The name is most popular in XANDER, XANDER, and XANDER. Xander is occasionally used for girls in 2023.

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