Zander
Literal root meaning: “to defend + man”
About the name Zander
Zander is a boy name with Ancient Greek roots, literally “to defend + man”. It is related to Alexander, which is where the meaning comes from.
It has a modern feel. In 2025, Zander ranked #397 for boys in the US, with 804 babies given the name. Its peak year since 1940 was 2013. Since 2000, 100% of US babies named Zander were boys.
Etymology
A diminutive of Alexander, which comes from Ancient Greek, meaning “to defend” + “man”.
Name meaning adapted from Wiktionary (“Zander”, “Alexander”) by Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- US rank 2025
- #397
- In 2015
- #249
- Babies in 2025
- 804
Popularity of Zander, 1940–2025
Latest SSA data: 2025.
Popularity data: U.S. Social Security Administration national baby names (public domain; names given to at least 5 babies of one sex per year).
Names similar to Zander
Name meanings marked or linked “Wiktionary” are adapted from Wiktionary by Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; each name page links its source entry.