| Alexander | Theodore | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Defender of men | gift of God |
| Origin | greek | greek |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | al-ig-ZAN-der | THEE-ə-dor |
| Syllables | 4 | 3 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 1993 (20,530) | 2025 (13,355) |
| In 2025 | 7,230 | 13,355 |
| Trend | Declining | Near its peak |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Alexander | Theodore |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 51,145 | 65,579 |
| 2010s | 142,161 | 40,530 |
| 2000s | 178,847 | 10,556 |
| 1990s | 183,952 | 10,113 |
| 1980s | 82,010 | 11,958 |
| 1970s | 24,932 | 13,567 |
| 1960s | 14,168 | 21,288 |
| 1950s | 12,180 | 29,050 |
| 1940s | 9,477 | 26,249 |
| 1930s | 7,095 | 24,957 |
| 1920s | 12,539 | 31,287 |
| 1910s | 11,352 | 21,106 |
| 1900s | 2,230 | 6,490 |
| 1890s | 1,954 | 2,300 |
| 1880s | 2,081 | 2,176 |
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.
From Greek Theodoros, combining theos 'God' and doron 'gift' — literally 'gift of God'. Note that Theodore and Dorothea are built from the SAME two elements in reversed order.
Theodore is more popular than Alexander today: about 13,355 US babies were given the name Theodore in 2025, compared with 7,230 named Alexander.
Alexander means Defender of men (greek origin), while Theodore means gift of God (greek origin).
In US records, Alexander first appears in 1880 and Theodore in 1880, so Alexander has the longer recorded history.