The name Xander is a boy's name of Greek origin meaning "defending men". Xander is ranked #163 on our popularity charts and is often added to lists like Bold Bohemian Names for Boys and discussed in our forums with posts like "Baby a Day".
From the experts:
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.
Lists containing Xander:
- Streamlined Baby Names
- Alternatives to Alexander
- Boy Baby Names Moving Up Fast
- X Factor Baby Names
- Favorite Names on Nameberry
- Baby Names So Far In They're Out
- Baby Names So Far In They're Out
- Baby Names So Far In They're Out
- Hipster British Baby Names for Boys
- Bold Bohemian Names for Boys
Xander in Blog Posts
Xander in the Forums
Comments
stella2007 Says:
Becky Mowery Says:
That is how we pronounce my sons name. He's now almost 14 years old. I love it!
kxlly0614 Says:
I love this name! It's so unique, and I love how it is spelled.
Yessica Says:
X - Ander?
TaliaCat Says:
Sexy, unusual, masculine name
jasminegarden Says:
I am completely in love with this name! The Buffy character Xander Harris made me realise that it has the perfect combination of sweetness, feistiness and a strong will to stand on it's own. Although Xander Harris' full name was Alexander, and I don't really like people naming their children nicknames like Danny, Tommy or Sammy, there are a few short forms that I love, which I think stand really well on their own, and I intend to use the names Billy and Xander for my future sons (if I have any, which I really hope I do!) :)
Swim_Amore Says:
Like the name, prefer the Z spelling.
WashingtonQueen Says:
I named my son Xander. It stands perfectly on it's own. It's strong, handsome, and distinctive! <3
Sweekune Says:
I would consign this to nickname territory as short for Alexander. That said, I love how this sounds and I think any young boy would be happy with this name.
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Gorgeous name! It's very strong on its own, a bit fresher and more modern than Alexander. I pronounce it Zander. I've always loved names like Xander, Alexander, Evander, Zander. They are all masculine, cool yet have a sweetness to them. Such handsome names. I don't think of Xander as a nickname for Alexander, I think it's very sophisticated on its own. I like Zan or Zane for short.