| Alejandro | Emiliano | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | defender of the people | rival; eager, striving |
| Origin | spanish | spanish |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | ah-leh-HAHN-dro | eh-mee-lee-AH-no |
| Syllables | 4 | 4 |
| First appeared | 1885 | 1885 |
| Peak year | 2001 (4,557) | 2025 (3,701) |
| In 2025 | 1,842 | 3,701 |
| Trend | Declining | Near its peak |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Alejandro | Emiliano |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 11,274 | 16,562 |
| 2010s | 25,033 | 16,089 |
| 2000s | 43,118 | 7,739 |
| 1990s | 35,178 | 956 |
| 1980s | 15,316 | 462 |
| 1970s | 9,134 | 471 |
| 1960s | 3,099 | 181 |
| 1950s | 1,713 | 119 |
| 1940s | 938 | 77 |
| 1930s | 775 | 72 |
| 1920s | 732 | 98 |
| 1910s | 228 | 12 |
| 1900s | 66 | 0 |
| 1890s | 10 | 0 |
| 1880s | 10 | 6 |
The Spanish form of Alexander, from the Greek Alexandros, combining alexein 'to defend, protect' and aner/andros 'man'. Carried through history by Alexander the Great and later by saints and kings.
The Spanish form of the Latin Aemilianus, derived from the Roman family name Aemilius, which is generally linked to the Latin aemulus 'rival, emulating, striving'. Spread in the Hispanic world partly through the Mexican revolutionary Emiliano Zapata.
Emiliano is more popular than Alejandro today: about 3,701 US babies were given the name Emiliano in 2025, compared with 1,842 named Alejandro.
Alejandro means defender of the people (spanish origin), while Emiliano means rival; eager, striving (spanish origin).
In US records, Alejandro first appears in 1885 and Emiliano in 1885, so Alejandro has the longer recorded history.