Zander is a short form of Alexander, the Greek name meaning "defender of men", with the Z spelling giving it a modern punch; the fish called zander is unrelated. The character Xander Harris in Buffy the Vampire Slayer popularized the sound in the late 1990s. Zander was number 992 in 2000, peaked at number 230 in 2013 and has settled at number 397 in 2025.