Xander

ZAN-der

Diminutive of Alexander, Greek

"defending men"

Xander Origin and Meaning

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

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.

• 169 US 2019
• 171 Nameberry 2021
• 176 England 2018
• 128 2028 2028