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Names That Mean Defender

  1. Alexis
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "defender"
    • Description:

      Alexis, a one-time exclusively-boys’ name, was more popular than its sister Alexandra for quite a while, but in recent years Alexandra has overtaken it once again. Alexis was a Top 20 girls’ name from 1994-2010 but has experienced a decline in popularity in recent years, though now it's one of the top unisex names.
  2. Alessio
    • Origin:

      Italian variation of Alexis
    • Meaning:

      "defender"
    • Description:

      Alessio, simpler than the related Alessandro, would be a welcome settler here.
  3. Alastair
    • Origin:

      Scottish
    • Meaning:

      "defender of men"
    • Description:

      To Americans, a quintessential British name, introduced to the U.S. public by suave journalist/PBS Masterpiece Theater host Alastair Cook. Sometimes used in the U.S. by parents with Scottish heritage.
  4. Minette
    • Origin:

      French
    • Meaning:

      "faithful defender"
    • Description:

      Frenchified name rarely used in France. And perhaps even more rarely used in the US -- there were NO baby girls given the name on the official records of 2021.
  5. Aminta
    • Origin:

      Literature, Greek
    • Meaning:

      "defender"
    • Description:

      One of the romantic names favored by British pastoral poets, it was first used as a masculine name by the Italian poet Torquato Tasso for his 16th century play about a shepherd falling in love with a nymph.
  6. Titan
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "defender"
    • Description:

      This name comes from Greek mythology, where the Titans were a band of immortal, powerful giants.
  7. Minty
    • Origin:

      English diminutive of Aminta and Araminta, Greek
    • Meaning:

      "defender"
    • Description:

      Minty isn't a fresh word name — it's an old-fashioned nickname for Araminta, the romantic smoosh name coined by playwright William Congreve in 1693.
  8. Alyosha
    • Origin:

      Russian
    • Meaning:

      "defender"
    • Description:

      Russian diminutive of Alexei, borne by the protagonist in Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov. Alyosha, like most other Russian diminutive forms, is not generally given as a standalone name in Russia itself.
  9. Alexis
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "defender"
    • Description:

      This name leapt into the female column via vixen Alexis Carrington on 'Dynasty" in the 1980s. It's more popular for girls, but it's still a widely used boys' names and is one of the most popular unisex names in the US today.
  10. Aleksey
    • Origin:

      Russian
    • Meaning:

      "defender"
    • Description:

      Alternative transliteration of Alexei
  11. Sender
    • Origin:

      Yiddish
    • Meaning:

      "defender of men"
    • Description:

      Also an English surname, Sender derives from Alexander and has an attractive modern sound. Though given to only a handful of baby boys per year, it nevertheless is in step with the brotherhood of er-ending choices fashionable today.
  12. Zindel
    • Origin:

      Yiddish,"defender of men"
    • Meaning:

      "defender of men"
    • Description:

      Yiddish form of Alexander.
  13. Xandra
    • Origin:

      Spanish, diminutive of Alexandra
    • Meaning:

      "man's defender"
    • Description:

      The initial X is pronounced like a Z. Confusing? Potentially. But there are enough Alexandras and Xanders through the Western World these days that this spelling wouldn't seem outlandish.
  14. Alessa
    • Origin:

      Italian
    • Meaning:

      "defender of men"
    • Description:

      Italian form of Alexa, sometimes short for Alessandra, which sidesteps the Amazon Alexa issue.
  15. Amyntor
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "defender"
    • Description:

      An obscure mythological name which belongs to several minor figures in Greek legend. The father and son of Hephaestion, a close companion of Alexander the Great, also bore the name.
  16. Seward
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "sea defender"
    • Description:

      Double whammy: the expression "Seward's folly" and inevitable sewer jokes.
  17. Aminta
    • Origin:

      Variation of Amyntas, Greek
    • Meaning:

      "defender"
    • Description:

      Aminta is now considered a feminine name, but it originated as a variation of Amyntas, a name connected to numerous ancient kings. In the 16th century, Torquato Tasso, an Italian poet, wrote a play titled Aminta about a lovestruck shepherd who falls for a beautiful nymph named Silvia.
  18. Lex
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Alexis and Alexandra
    • Meaning:

      "man's defender"
    • Description:

      Lex is still used mostly for boys, but like Alex, may cross over with the rising popularity of all long forms of the name. Lexi is another, more feminine option.
  19. Oleksandra
    • Origin:

      Ukrainian variation of Alexandra
    • Meaning:

      "defender of men"
    • Description:

      A variation of Alexandra with Slavic flair.
  20. Amyntas
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "defender"
    • Description:

      Amyntas is derived from the Greek word amyntor, meaning "defender." It was borne by several ancient kings and military leaders.

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