Alex and Friends

Xander is a diminutive of Alexander, the Latin variation of the Greek Alexandros. Its meaning, "defending men," is taken from the Greek roots aléxein, "to defend," and andros, "men." Zander, pronounced the same way, is an alternate spelling.

The initial X is pronounced like a Z. Confusing? Potentially. But there are enough Alexandras and Xanders through the Western World these days that this spelling wouldn't seem outlandish.

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

There's Zan and there's Xan--take your pick. Both of these are the latest generation of Alexander nicknames, Xan having been noticed first as a character on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" (a rich source of names), and soon phoneticized into Zan.

This name can be used for either girls or boys and is a great international choice.

On the rise as an independent name: Zander and Xander are both widely used can increasingly be found as characters in movies and on TV.

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.