Biography Wikipedia
Wikipedia:
Alexander ( /ˈæəˈæər/) is a common male first name, and less common surname. The most famous is Alexander III of Macedon, commonly known as Alexander the Great, who created one of the largest empires in ancient history.
Origin
Etymologically, the name is derived from the Greek "Αλέξανδρος" (Aléxandros), meaning "defending men" or "protector of men", a compound of the verb "ἀλέξω" (alexō), "to ward off, to avert, to defend" and the noun "ἀνδρός" (andros), genitive of "ἀνήρ" (anēr), "man". It is an example of the widespread motif of Greek (or Indo-European more generally) names expressing "battle-prowess", in this case the ability to withstand or push back an enemy battle line.
The earliest attested form of the name is the Mycenaean Greek feminine noun a-re-ka-sa-da-ra, (transliterated as Alexandra), written in Linear B syllabic script.
The name was one of the titles ("epithets") given to the Greek goddess Hera and as such is usually taken to mean "one who comes to save warriors". In the Iliad, the character Paris is known also as Alexander. The name's popularity was spread throughout the Greek world by the military conquests of King Alexander III, commonly known as "Alexander the Great". Most later Alexanders in various countries were directly or indirectly named for him.
People known as Alexander
Alexander has been the name of many rulers, including kings of Macedon, kings of Scotland, emperors of Russia and popes.
Rulers of antiquity
Alaksandu, c. 1280 BCAlexander, more often known as Paris of TroyAlexander of Corinth, 10th king of Corinth (816–791 BC)Alexander I of MacedonAlexander II of MacedonAlexander of Pherae despot of Pherae between 369 and 358 BCAlexander I of Epirus king of Epirus about 342 BCAlexander the Great (Alexander III of Macedon), King of Macedon, 356–323 BCAlexander IV of MacedonAlexander V of MacedonAlexander II of Epirus king of Epirus 272 BCAlexander, viceroy of Antigonus Gonatas and ruler of a rump state based on Corinth c. 250 BCAlexander Balas, ruler of the Seleucid kingdom of Syria between 150 and 146 BCAlexander Zabinas, ruler of part of the Seleucid kingdom of Syria based in Antioch between 128 and 123 BCAlexander Jannaeus king of Judea, 103-76 BCAlexander of Judaea, son of Aristobulus II, king of JudaeaAlexander Severus, (208–235), Roman EmpireDomitius Alexander, Roman usurper who declared himself emperor in 308Rulers of the Middle Ages
Alexander, Byzantine Emperor (912–913)Alexander I of Scotland (c. 1078–1124)Alexander II of Scotland (1198–1249)Alexander Nevsky (1220–1263), Prince of Novgorod and Grand Prince of VladimirAlexander III of Scotland (1241–1286)Aleksander (1338–before 1386), Prince of Podolia (son of Narymunt)Alexandru I Aldea, ruler of the principality of Wallachia (1431–1436)Eskender, Emperor of Ethiopia (1472–1494)Alexander Jagiellon (Alexander of Poland) (1461–1506), King of PolandAlexandru Lăpuşneanu, Voivode of Moldavia (1552–1561 and 1564–1568)Modern rulers
Alexander I of Russia (1777–1825), emperor of RussiaAlexander II of Russia (1818–1881), emperor of RussiaAlexander III of Russia (1845–1894), emperor of RussiaAlexander Karađorđević, Prince of Serbia (1842–1858)Alexander of Bulgaria (1857–1893), first prince of BulgariaAlexander John Cuza, prince of Romania (1859–1866)Alexander I Obrenović of Serbia (1876–1903), king of SerbiaAlexander, Prince of Lippe (1831–1905), prince of LippeAlexander I of Yugoslavia (1888–1934), first king of YugoslaviaAlexander, Crown Prince of Yugoslavia, (born 1945), the head of the Yugoslav Royal FamilyZog I also known as Skenderbeg III, (1895–1961), king of AlbaniansAlexander of Greece (1917–1920), king of GreeceLeka, Crown Prince of Albania, (born 1939), king of Albanians (throne pretender)Willem-Alexander, Prince of OrangeOther royals
Alexander, Judean Prince, one of the sons of Herod the Great from his wife MariamneAlexander, Judean Prince, son to the above Alexander and Cappadocian Princess GlaphyraAlexander (d. 1418), son of Bulgarian tsar Ivan ShishmanPrince Alexander John of Wales (1871), short-lived son of Edward VIIPrince Alexander of Belgium (1942–2009)Several other princes have borne the name Alexander:
George V of Hanover (1819–1878)Prince Alfred of Edinburgh and Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (1874–1899)Prince George, Duke of Kent (1902–1942)Olav V of Norway (1903–1991)Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester (born 1944)]Religious leaders
Pope Alexander I, (pope 97–105)Alexander of Apamea, 5th century bishop of ApameaPope Alexander II, (pope 1058–1061)Pope Alexander III, (pope 1164–1168)Pope Alexander IV, (pope 1243–1254)Pope Alexander V, ("Peter Philarges" c. 1339–1410)Pope Alexander VI, (1492–1503), Roman popePope Alexander VII, (1599–1667)Pope Alexander VIII, (pope 1689–1691),Alexander of Constantinople, bishop of Constantinople (314–337)St. Alexander of Alexandria, Coptic Pope, Patriarch of Alexandria between 313 and 328Pope Alexander II of Alexandria, Coptic Pope (702–729)Alexander of Lincoln, bishop of LincolnAlexander of JerusalemSee also Saint Alexander, various saints with this nameOther people
Other people using the name Alexander include:
Antiquity
Paris (mythology) aka Alexander, the Trojan prince who kidnapped HelenAlexander (artists), the name of a number of artists of ancient Greece, Rome and MacedonAlexander (3rd century BC general), commanded the cavalry under Antigonus III DosonAlexander of Athens, Athenian comic poetAlexander Lyncestes, contemporary of Alexander the GreatAlexander Aetolus, poet and member of the Alexandrian PleiadAlexander, son of Lysimachus, 3rd century BC Macedonian royalAlexander (Aetolian general), briefly conquered Aegira in 220 BCAlexander (general), son of Polyperchon, the regent of MacedoniaAlexander Isius, 2nd century military commander of the AetoliansAlexander of Acarnania (d. 191 BC), confidante of Antiochus III the GreatAlexander Lychnus, early 1st century BC poet and historianAlexander Polyhistor, Greek scholar of the 1st centuryAlexander of Myndus, ancient Greek writer on zoology and divinationAlexander of Aegae, peripatetic philosopher of the 1st centuryAlexander of Cotiaeum, 2nd century Greek grammarian and tutor of Marcus AureliusAlexander Numenius, or Alexander son of Numenius, 2nd century AD, Greek rhetoricianAlexander the Paphlagonian, 2nd century Greek imposterAlexander Peloplaton, Greek rhetorician of the 2nd centuryAlexander of Lycopolis, 4th century author of an early Christian treatise against ManicheansAlexander of Aphrodisias, Greek commentator and philosopherMiddle Ages
Alexander of Hales, 13th-century Medieval theologianOleksa Dovbush, Ukrainian freedom-fighterModern
Alexander (magician) (1880–1954), stage magician specializing in mentalismOlivinha (born 1983), Brazilian basketball player also known as AlexandrePeople with the given name Alexander
Internationally famous people with the given name Alexander or variants include:
Alexander Pope (1688–1744), English poetAlex Ferguson (born 1941), manager of Manchester United FCAlexander Hamilton (1755–1804), Founding Father of the United StatesAlexander Day, British 18th Century confidence tricksterAlexander Pushkin (1799–1837), Russian writerAlexandre Dumas (1802–1870), French writerAlexander Ivanovich Levitov (1835–1877), Russian writerAlexander Graham Bell (1847–1922), Scottish-born inventor of the first practical telephoneAlexander Fleming (1881–1955), Scottish discoverer of penicillinAlexandre Lippmann (1881–1960), French 2x Olympic champion épée fencerAlexander Korda (1893–1956), Hungarian-born film directorAlexander Rudolph ("Al McCoy"; 1894–1966), American world champion middleweight boxerAlexander Penn (1906–72), Israeli poetAlessandro Manzoni (1785–1873), Italian poet and novelistAlessandro Volta (1745–1827), Italian physicistAlexander Levinsky (1910–90), Canadian NHL ice hockey playerAlexander Argov (1914–95), Russian-born Israeli composerAleksandr Solzhenitsyn (1918–2008), Russian writerAlexander Dubček (1921–1992), leader of Czechoslovakia (1968–1969)Alexander Salkind (1921–1997), French film producerAlexander Haig (1924–2010), United States general and politicianAlexander Gomelsky (1928–2005), Russian head coach of USSR basketball national team for 30 yearsAleksandr Gorelik (born 1945), Soviet figure skaterAlexander McCall Smith (born 1948), Scottish writerAlexander O'Neal (born 1953), American singerAlec Baldwin (born 1958), American actorSandy Lyle (born 1958), Scottish golferAlexander Pechtold (born 1965), Dutch politicianAleksandar Djordjevic (born 1967), Serbian basketball playerLex van Dam (Born 1968), Dutch trader and TV personalityAlexander McQueen (1969–2010), British fashion designerAlexander Popov (swimmer) (born 1971) Russian swimmerAleksandr Averbukh, Israeli European champion pole vaulterAlexander Semin (born 1984), Russian hockey player for the Washington CapitalsAlexander Ovechkin (born 1985), Russian hockey player for the Washington CapitalsAlexander Nikolov (born 1987), American, well known NASCAR driverAlexander Gustafsson (born 1987), Swedish mixed martial arts fighterAlexander Shatilov (born 1987), Uzbek-Israeli artistic gymnastAlexander Lee Eusebio (born 1988), also known as Alexander (or Xander), South Korean solo singer, ex-member of South Korean band U-KISS
