Aleksandr is the Russian form of Alexander, from the Greek alexein, to defend, and aner, man, so it means "defender of men". It has been one of the most common names in Russia for two centuries, borne by tsars, poet Aleksandr Pushkin and writer Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. In the United States it is used mainly by families with roots in Russia and Eastern Europe; it peaked at number 1992 in 2016 and ranks at number 2837 in 2025.