Alexandra Name Meaning, Origin and Pronunciation

ByNamelyra Editorial Team

Alexandra is a Greek-origin girl’s name meaning “defender of men,” the feminine form of Alexander.
Meaning defender of men
Origin Greek (from Alexandros)
Pronunciation al-ex-AN-dra
Gender Girl
Related forms Alexander (masculine form), Alex, Sasha (a Russian diminutive), Alexa

Origin and history

Alexandra is the feminine form of Alexander, tracing to the Greek Alexandros, which combines elements meaning to defend and men. The name gained significant royal prominence through numerous European queens and empresses named Alexandra across Russian, British, and Greek royal history, reinforcing its association with nobility for centuries.

Is Alexandra a boy or girl name?

Alexandra is used almost exclusively as a girl’s name.

Nicknames for Alexandra

  • Alex
  • Alexa
  • Sasha (a Russian diminutive form)

Names similar to Alexandra

  • Alexander (the masculine form)
  • Alexandria (a related, place-name-linked variant)

Frequently asked questions

Why is Sasha a nickname for Alexandra when the names sound unrelated?

Sasha developed as a Russian diminutive form of Alexandra through a chain of affectionate nickname shifts common in Russian naming custom, similar to how other Russian names produce nicknames that don’t obviously sound related to the full name.

Is Alexandra related to the city of Alexandria?

Both trace back to the same root name, Alexander, since the Egyptian city of Alexandria was named after Alexander the Great, though Alexandra and Alexandria developed as separate given names.

Related reading

Parent hub: name meanings.