Names That Mean Defending

Alexandrina is the most elaborate and unusual of the Alex- girls's names.The real first name of Queen Victoria, who was given it in honor of her godfather, Alexander I of Russia (her childhood nickname was Drina), it would make a distinctive pick, even though some might find five syllables a bit much. It was particularly popular in Scotland in the 1930s.

A name that is rarely heard and might be worth considering as a way of zipping up a namesake Sandra. It has long been associated with iconoclastic British fashion designer Zandra Rhodes.

Commonly heard as a nickname for Alejandro, but a rare sight on the birth certificate. Ale has only made the US charts for boys twice, once in 2005 and again in 2018.

An alternative to Sasha, another common Russian nickname for Aleksandra.

This unusual form of Alexandra might be seen and pronounced as a combination of Alex and Anne.

Another appealing member of the Alexandrian clan.

Cool, gender-neutral short form of Alexandra and company.

Aleksej is the Slovene form of Alexios, making it a cognate of Alexis.

Common as an independent name in Slovenia.

This spin on the "Alex" prefix was the 88th most popular girl name in Scotland in 1900.

Variation of Alexander.

Lyosha is a common nickname for Aleksei, the Russian form of Alexios.

A rare name borne by a character in the young adult book series The Morganville Vampires.

Sander would be an unconventional short form of Alexandra, variation of Sandra, or surname-name for girls. It was given to 41 baby boys in the US last year but no girls, but it certainly can be a gender-neutral choice.

Urdu and Pashto form of Alexander

Shura is a unisex Russian nickname for Aleksandr or Aleksandra, themselves forms of Alexander. Less known in the English=speaking world than Sasha, it's also more assertive -- probably because of that "sure" sound.

One of many variants of the classic Alexander — this particular one is used in South Slavic countries.

Removing one letter from the somewhat intimidating Alexios gives you Alexio, a charming and more accessible variation.