| Alexander | George | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Defender of men | Farmer, earth-worker |
| Origin | greek | Greek |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | al-ig-ZAN-der | JORJ |
| Syllables | 4 | 1 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 1993 (20,530) | 1921 (27,476) |
| In 2025 | 7,230 | 2,848 |
| Trend | Declining | Steady |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Alexander | George |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 51,145 | 16,661 |
| 2010s | 142,161 | 28,407 |
| 2000s | 178,847 | 28,006 |
| 1990s | 183,952 | 35,246 |
| 1980s | 82,010 | 45,712 |
| 1970s | 24,932 | 64,757 |
| 1960s | 14,168 | 113,023 |
| 1950s | 12,180 | 181,031 |
| 1940s | 9,477 | 209,013 |
| 1930s | 7,095 | 192,289 |
| 1920s | 12,539 | 261,945 |
| 1910s | 11,352 | 176,609 |
| 1900s | 2,230 | 43,589 |
| 1890s | 1,954 | 43,358 |
| 1880s | 2,081 | 47,651 |
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.
George comes from the Greek Georgios, “farmer” or “earth-worker,” from gē (“earth”) and ergon (“work”). St George, the dragon-slayer, is the patron saint of England.
Alexander is more popular than George today: about 7,230 US babies were given the name Alexander in 2025, compared with 2,848 named George.
Alexander means Defender of men (greek origin), while George means Farmer, earth-worker (Greek origin).
In US records, Alexander first appears in 1880 and George in 1880, so Alexander has the longer recorded history.