Everyday LifeGreek → English
Alexandra
/ˌælɪɡˈzɑːndrə/proper noun
A female given name, the feminine form of Alexander.
The Greek roots
ἀλέξω
aléxō
to ward off, defend
ἀνήρ
anḗr
man
Literally: “defender of men”
The story of the word
The name is older than Alexander the Great by centuries: Ἀλεξάνδρα appears as a cult title of Hera at Sicyon, and Lycophron's poem Alexandra is spoken about Cassandra, who carried the name as an alternative. It reached Britain in force in 1863 with Alexandra of Denmark, later Edward VII's queen, which is why so many Alexandra parks and roads date from that decade. The verb ἀλέξω also stands behind alexipharmic, an antidote, literally something that wards off poison.
- How it travelled
- Ancient Greek → Latin → English
Same family
Alexanderandroidpolyandryphilander
In a sentence
Alexandra goes by Sasha at home and by nothing shorter at work.