boy's name
Zander
ZAN-der
- Origin Greek
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 6
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 32,859
the United States
#396
2025 births
Zander is a boy's name of Greek origin, a short form of Alexander meaning "defender of men". It clips the end rather than the start of the name, and it is also the German and Dutch word for the pike-perch, a freshwater fish.
- Zander is a name of Greek origin.
- Peaked in 2013, when 1,600 babies were given the name.
- Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 4,124 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1915.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Zander over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1910s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1910s | 9 |
| 1930s | 6 |
| 1980s | 12 |
| 1990s | 288 |
| 2000s | 8,267 |
| 2010s | 14,168 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 6,036 |
What Zander means
Zander carries Alexander's meaning — defender of men, from alexein, to defend, and aner, a man. Taken alone the syllable means nothing, which is the usual position for a clipped short form.
Where Zander comes from
Zander shortens Alexander by dropping the first two syllables, a less common operation than clipping the front — Sander, Xander and Zander all work this way, and Dutch and German have used Sander as an independent name for centuries. Alexander itself is Greek, from alexein, to ward off, and aner, andros, a man, and its reach owes everything to Alexander the Great, whose conquests carried it from Egypt to India. Unrelatedly, zander is the German and Dutch name for the pike-perch. Our records show the name from 1915, rising sharply after 2000.
Zander in use
Zander charts in six of the seven countries we track and peaked in 2013.
How popular is Zander?
In 2025, Zander was given to 804 babies in the United States, ranking #396 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Zander is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Zander
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Zander also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Zander over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
1 nickname for Zander
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Zander in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Zander
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Zander — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Zander
What does the name Zander mean?
Defender of men, carried over from Alexander, of which it is a short form.
What is the difference between Zander and Xander?
Only the spelling. Both clip Alexander from the end, as does the Dutch and German Sander.
Is Zander a boy's or a girl's name?
It is given almost entirely to boys.
How popular is the name Zander?
In 2025, Zander was given to 804 babies in the United States, ranking #396 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
How many syllables are in Zander?
Zander has 2 syllables.
When was Zander most popular?
Zander peaked in 2013, when 1,600 babies were given the name. Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Zander?
Zander is usually shortened to Zan.
Is Zander a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Zander currently ranks #201 in the United States. Its usage has held steady over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.