Xander - Boy's Name Meaning, Origin, And Popularity - BabyCenter

• Community
  • Trending Posts
  • Birth Clubs
  • Groups
  • See all in Community
• Getting Pregnant
  • Ovulation
  • Ovulation Calculator
  • Fertility
  • How To Get Pregnant
  • How To Get Pregnant Fast
  • Ovulation Discharge
  • Implantation Bleeding
  • Ovulation Symptoms
  • Pregnancy Symptoms
  • Am I Pregnant?
  • Pregnancy Tests
  • See all in Getting Pregnant
• Pregnancy
  • Due Date Calculator
  • Conception Date Calculator
  • Pregnancy Week by Week
  • Pregnant Sex
  • Weight Gain Tracker
  • Signs of Labor
  • Morning Sickness
  • Fetal Weight Chart
  • Fetal Development
  • Pregnancy Discharge
  • Find Out Baby Gender
  • Chinese Gender Predictor
  • See all in Pregnancy
• Baby Names
  • Baby Name Generator
  • Top Baby Names 2023
  • Top Baby Names 2024
  • How to Pick a Baby Name
  • Most Popular Baby Names
  • Baby Names by Letter
  • Gender Neutral Names
  • Boy Names
  • Girl Names
  • Unique Boy Names
  • Unique Girl Names
  • Top baby names by year
  • See all in Baby Names
• Baby
  • Newborn
  • Baby Development
  • Baby Feeding Guide
  • Newborn Sleep
  • When Babies Roll Over
  • First-Year Baby Costs Calculator
  • Postpartum Health
  • Baby Poop Chart
  • See all in Baby
• Toddler
  • Average Weight & Height
  • Autism Signs
  • Child Growth Chart
  • Night Terrors
  • Moving from Crib to Bed
  • Toddler Feeding Guide
  • Feeding
  • Potty Training
  • Bathing and Grooming
  • Behavior
  • See all in Toddler
• Child
  • Height Predictor
  • Potty Training: Boys
  • Potty training: Girls
  • How Much Sleep? (Ages 3+)
  • Ready for Preschool?
  • Tantrums
  • Thumb-Sucking
  • Gross Motor Skills
  • Napping (Ages 2 to 3)
  • See all in Child
• Health
  • Photos: Rashes & Skin Conditions
  • Symptom Checker
  • Vaccine Scheduler
  • Reducing a Fever
  • Teething
  • Acetaminophen Dosage Chart
  • Constipation in Babies
  • Ear Infection Symptoms
  • Infant CPR
  • Head Lice 101
  • See all in Health
• Family
  • Second Pregnancy
  • Daycare Costs
  • Family Finance
  • Stay-At-Home Parents
  • Breastfeeding Positions
  • See all in Family
• Courses
  • Infant CPR
  • Baby Sleep Training
  • Preparing For Baby
• Registry
  • My Custom Checklist
  • My Registries
• Baby Products
  • Amazon Prime Day
  • Best Breast Pump
  • Best Convertible Car Seat
  • Best Infant Car Seat
  • Best Baby Bottle
  • Best Baby Monitor
  • Best Stroller
  • Best Diapers
  • Best Baby Carrier
  • Best Diaper Bag
  • Best Highchair
  • Best Baby Products
  • See all in Baby Products
• Popular Searches
  • Dilation
  • Why Pregnant Belly Feels Tight
  • Early Signs of Twins
  • Teas During Pregnancy
  • Baby Head Circumference Chart
  • How Many Months Pregnant Am I
  • What is a Rainbow Baby
  • Braxton Hicks Contractions
  • HCG Levels By Week
  • When to Take a Pregnancy Test
  • Am I Pregnant
  • Why is Poop Green
  • Can Pregnant Women Eat Shrimp
  • D & C
  • Insemination
  • Ultrasound
  • PCOS
  • UTI During Pregnancy
  • Vitamin D Drops
  • Best Baby Forumla
  • Postpartum Depression
  • Low Progesterone During Pregnancy
  • Baby Shower
  • Baby Shower Games

• Community
• Getting Pregnant
• Pregnancy
• Baby Names
• Baby
• Toddler
• Child
• Health
• Family
• Courses
• Registry
• Baby Products

Popular Baby NamesBaby Name ListsBaby Name SearchMy Saved Names

1. Baby Names

Xander/ZAN-der /

At a glance

Origin: GreekUS Popularity: #202Meaning:

"Defender of men"

Save to listSee your listFact-checked by Rebekah WahlbergWritten by Blake BakkilaUpdated on Nov 3, 2025In this article

• Xander name meaning and origin
• Xander name popularity
• Popularity over time
• Xander in pop culture
• Famous people named Xander
• Names similar to Xander
• Baby name lists including Xander

Xander name meaning and origin

What does Xander mean?

"Defender of men"

Xander name origin:

Greek

Xander, also sometimes spelled Zander, is an abbreviated version of the name Alexander, which is the Latinized form of the Greek name Alexandros. It comes from the Greek words alexein, which means "to defend," and andros, which means "man." Combined, it means "defender of men," which is likely why so many kings and emperors in history have shared the name.

In the United States, it's slowly climbed the ranks since 1999, and was most popular for boys in 2017, when it ranked No. 164.

Sources:

Hanks P., et al. 2016. A Dictionary of First Names. Oxford University Press. https://www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/acref/9780198610601.001.0001/acref-9780198610601

U.S. Social Security Administration. Undated. Popular Baby Names. https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/

girlboy

Popularity over time

Data not available

Looking for the perfect baby name?

BabyCenter's Baby Name Shuffle learns your preferences and suggests names just for you.

Get the app

Xander in pop culture

Name	Description
Xander Bly	The Green Mystic Ranger in Power Rangers: Mystic Force, played by Richard Brancatisano and Kosuke Okano
Xander Cage	Protagonist of the xXx franchise, played by Vin Diesel
Xander Harris	Character in the show Buffy the Vampire Slayer, played by Nicholas Brendon
Xander Kiriakis	Character in the soap opera Days of Our Lives, played by Paul Telfer
Xander Payne	Villain in the Mega Man comic series
Xander	Character in the series Homeland, played by Taylor Kowalski

Advertisement | page continues below

Famous people named Xander

Name	Description
Alexander "Xander" Berkeley	American actor best known for his roles on the TV shows 24, The Mentalist, and The Walking Dead
Xander Bogaerts	Aruban professional baseball player
Alexander "Xander" Parish	English ballet dancer
Alexander "Xander" Schauffele	American professional golfer and 2017 Rookie of the Year

Names similar to Xander

Like Xander? What about:

ZanderXavierAsherLiamEzraRyderAlexanderKaiAidenNoahAxelOliver

Common sibling names

Brothers

Xavier

Baby name lists including Xander

• Alternatives to A-list celebrity baby names

  By Lucy Robinson

• 231 cool names for your baby

  By Betsy Shaw

Baby Names A-Z

ABaby girl names that start with ABBaby girl names that start with BCBaby girl names that start with CDBaby girl names that start with DEBaby girl names that start with EFBaby girl names that start with FGBaby girl names that start with GHBaby girl names that start with HIBaby girl names that start with IJBaby girl names that start with JKBaby girl names that start with KLBaby girl names that start with LMBaby girl names that start with MNBaby girl names that start with NOBaby girl names that start with OPBaby girl names that start with PQBaby girl names that start with QRBaby girl names that start with RSBaby girl names that start with STBaby girl names that start with TUBaby girl names that start with UVBaby girl names that start with VWBaby girl names that start with WXBaby girl names that start with XYBaby girl names that start with YZBaby girl names that start with ZABaby boy names that start with ABBaby boy names that start with BCBaby boy names that start with CDBaby boy names that start with DEBaby boy names that start with EFBaby boy names that start with FGBaby boy names that start with GHBaby boy names that start with HIBaby boy names that start with IJBaby boy names that start with JKBaby boy names that start with KLBaby boy names that start with LMBaby boy names that start with MNBaby boy names that start with NOBaby boy names that start with OPBaby boy names that start with PQBaby boy names that start with QRBaby boy names that start with RSBaby boy names that start with STBaby boy names that start with TUBaby boy names that start with UVBaby boy names that start with VWBaby boy names that start with WXBaby boy names that start with XYBaby boy names that start with YZBaby boy names that start with ZSee moreAdvertisement | page continues below

Baby Name Generator

Our Baby Name Generator helps you find the perfect name, sorted by gender, letter, meaning, and more. You don't need to fill out every field, just the ones you're interested in.I’m looking for  any gender​any gender  names starting with  any letterany letter and ending with any letterany letter  with  any number of​any number of  syllables.I like names that mean  any meaningany meaning  and are  any theme​any theme  names. Show me names of  any​any  origin.Generate Opens a new window Opens a new window Opens a new window

Learn more about a name

Swipe to find the perfect baby name, discover meanings, origins, and trends all in one place.My pregnancy week by weekAdvertisementAdvertisement