| Alexander | Andrew | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Defender of men | Manly, brave |
| Origin | greek | Greek |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | al-ig-ZAN-der | AN-droo |
| Syllables | 4 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 1993 (20,530) | 1987 (36,206) |
| In 2025 | 7,230 | 4,497 |
| Trend | Declining | Declining |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Alexander | Andrew |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 51,145 | 30,959 |
| 2010s | 142,161 | 105,086 |
| 2000s | 178,847 | 202,588 |
| 1990s | 183,952 | 272,941 |
| 1980s | 82,010 | 285,074 |
| 1970s | 24,932 | 132,929 |
| 1960s | 14,168 | 97,109 |
| 1950s | 12,180 | 60,972 |
| 1940s | 9,477 | 34,618 |
| 1930s | 7,095 | 25,025 |
| 1920s | 12,539 | 35,952 |
| 1910s | 11,352 | 28,152 |
| 1900s | 2,230 | 6,277 |
| 1890s | 1,954 | 5,719 |
| 1880s | 2,081 | 6,053 |
From Greek 'alexein' (to defend, protect) and 'aner/andros' (man), so 'defender/protector of men'. Note this is strictly 'defender' rather than 'warrior', though its martial fame comes from Alexander the Great.
Andrew comes from the Greek Andreas, “manly, brave,” from anēr, “man.” Andrew was the first-called of the apostles and is the patron saint of Scotland.
Alexander is more popular than Andrew today: about 7,230 US babies were given the name Alexander in 2025, compared with 4,497 named Andrew.
Alexander means Defender of men (greek origin), while Andrew means Manly, brave (Greek origin).
In US records, Alexander first appears in 1880 and Andrew in 1880, so Alexander has the longer recorded history.