Alexandra
Alexandra (Greek: Ἀλεξάνδρα) is a female given name of Greek origin. It is the first attested form of its variants, including Alexander (Greek: Ἀλέξανδρος, Aléxandros). Etymologically, the name is a compound of the Greek verb ἀλέξειν (alexein; meaning 'to defend') and ἀνήρ (anēr; GEN ἀνδρός, andros; meaning 'man'). Thus it may be roughly translated as "defender of man" or "protector of man". The name Alexandra was one of the epithets given to the Greek goddess Hera and as such is usually taken to mean "one who comes to save warriors". The earliest attested form of the name is the Mycenaean Greek 𐀀𐀩𐀏𐀭𐀅𐀨 (a-re-ka-sa-da-ra or /aleksandra/), written in the Linear B syllabic script. Alexandra and its masculine equivalent, Alexander, are both common names in Greece as well as countries where Germanic, Romance, and Slavic languages are spoken.
| Pronunciation | /ˌælɪɡˈzændrə, -ˈzɑːn-/ AL-ig-ZA(H)N-drə |
|---|---|
| Gender | Female |
| Language(s) | From the Greek Alexandra, the female form of Alexandros, from alexein meaning "to ward off, keep off, turn away, defend, protect" and aner meaning "man" |
| Name day | August 30 |
| Origin | |
| Meaning | "Defender, protector of mankind" |
| Other names | |
| See also | Alejandra, Aleksandra, Alissandra, Alessandra, Oleksandra, Alexandrine, Alex, Alexa, Alexis, Cassandra, Kassandra, Lexi, Lexie, Lexa, Alessia, Alessiya, Alesiya, Olesia, Olesiya, Olessiya, Sandra, Sandrna, Sandrine, Sally, Sandy, Sendy, Shandy, Sasha, Shura, Xandra, Ksandra. The name Alexandria is similar, though itself means "land, place of Alexander". |