Alexandru is the Romanian form of the name

Alexander Alexander () is a male name of Greek origin. The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Great, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia who created one of the largest empires in ancient history. Variants listed here ar ...

. Common diminutives are Alecu,

Alex Alex is a given name. Similar names are Alexander, Alexandra, Alexey or Alexis. People Multiple * Alex Brown (disambiguation), multiple people * Alex Cook (disambiguation), multiple people * Alex Forsyth (disambiguation), multiple people * Al ...

, and Sandu.

Origin

Etymologically Etymology ( ) is the study of the origin and evolution of words—including their constituent units of sound and meaning—across time. In the 21st century a subfield within linguistics, etymology has become a more rigorously scientific study. ...

, the name is derived from the

Greek Greek may refer to: Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...

"Αλέξανδρος" (Aléxandros), meaning "defending men" or "protector of men", a compound of the verb "ἀλέξω" (alexō), "to ward off, to avert, to defend" and the noun "ἀνδρός" (andros), genitive of "ἀνήρ" (anēr), "man". It is an example of the widespread motif of Greek (or Indo-European more generally) names expressing "battle-prowess", in this case the ability to withstand or push back an enemy battle line. The earliest attested form of the name is the

Mycenaean Greek Mycenaean Greek is the earliest attested form of the Greek language. It was spoken on the Greek mainland and Crete in Mycenaean Greece (16th to 12th centuries BC). The language is preserved in inscriptions in Linear B, a script first atteste ...

feminine noun ''a-re-ka-sa-da-ra'', (transliterated as ''

Alexandra Alexandra () is a female given name of Greek origin. It is the first attested form of its variants, including Alexander (, ). Etymology, Etymologically, the name is a compound of the Greek verb (; meaning 'to defend') and (; genitive, GEN , ; ...

''), written in

Linear B Linear B is a syllabary, syllabic script that was used for writing in Mycenaean Greek, the earliest Attested language, attested form of the Greek language. The script predates the Greek alphabet by several centuries, the earliest known examp ...

syllabic script. The name was one of the titles ("epithets") given to the Greek goddess

Hera In ancient Greek religion, Hera (; ; in Ionic Greek, Ionic and Homeric Greek) is the goddess of marriage, women, and family, and the protector of women during childbirth. In Greek mythology, she is queen of the twelve Olympians and Mount Oly ...

and as such is usually taken to mean "one who comes to save warriors". In the

Iliad The ''Iliad'' (; , ; ) is one of two major Ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest extant works of literature still widely read by modern audiences. As with the ''Odyssey'', the poem is divided into 24 books and ...

, the character

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

is known also as Alexander.Ἀλέξανδρος
Georg Autenrieth, ''A Homeric Dictionary'', on Perseus Digital Library The name's popularity was spread throughout the Greek world by the military conquests of King Alexander III, commonly known as "Alexander the Great".

Rulers

(in chronological order) *

Alexandru cel Bun Alexander I, commonly known as Alexander the Good (; – 1 January 1432) was Voivode of Moldavia between 1400 and 1432. He was the son of Roman I and succeeded Iuga to the throne. As ruler he initiated a series of reforms while consolidating ...

(d.1432), Prince of Moldavia 1400–1432 *

Alexandru I Aldea Alexander I Aldea (1397 – December 1436) was a Voivode of Wallachia (1431–1436) from the House of Basarab, son of Mircea the Elder. He came to rule Wallachia during an extremely turbulent time when rule of the country changed hands by violenc ...

(1397–1436), Prince of Wallachia 1431–1436 *

Alexandru Lăpuşneanu Alexandru is the Romanian form of the name Alexander. Common diminutives are Alecu, Alex, and Sandu. Origin Etymologically, the name is derived from the Greek "Αλέξανδρος" (Aléxandros), meaning "defending men" or "protector of men" ...

, Voivode of Moldavia (1499–1568) *

Prince of Moldavia 1552–1561 and 1564–1568 *

Alexandru II Mircea Alexandru II Mircea (3 March 1529 – 11 September 1577) was a Voivode or Prince of Wallachia from 1568 to 1574 and 1574 to 1577. He was the father of Mihnea II Turcitul. His parents were Mircea III Dracul and Maria Despina. Raised by the Turks ...

, Hospodar of Wallachia 1568–1574 and 1574–1577 *

Alexandru Ghica Alexandru Scarlat Ghica (? – after 1768) was Voivode (Prince) of Wallachia from December 1766 to October 1768. He succeeded Scarlat Ghica. References 18th-century princes of Wallachia Alexandru Alexandru is the Romanian form of t ...

, Prince of Wallachia 1766–1768 *

Alexandru Suţu Alexandros Soutzos (, , '';'' 1758 – 18/19 January 1821) was a Phanariote Greek who ruled as Prince of Moldavia (July 10, 1801 – October 1, 1802 and Prince of Wallachia (July 2, 1802 – August 30, 1802; August 24, 1806 – October 15, 1806 ...

(1758–1821), Prince of Moldavia and Prince of Wallachia *

Alexandru II Ghica Alexandru Dimitrie Ghica (1 May 1796 – January 1862), a member of the Ghica family, was Prince of Wallachia from April 1834 to 7 October 1842 and later caimacam (regent) from July 1856 to October 1858. Family He was son of Demetriu Ghica ...

(1796–1862), Prince of Wallachia *

Alexandru Ioan Cuza Alexandru Ioan Cuza (, or Alexandru Ioan I, also Anglicised as Alexander John Cuza; 20 March 1820 – 15 May 1873) was the first ''domnitor'' (prince) of the Romanian Principalities through his double election as List of monarchs of Moldavia ...

(1820–1873), Prince of Moldavia, Domnitor of the United Principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia 1859–1866

Prime ministers

Alexandru Athanasiu Alexandru Athanasiu (; born 1 January 1955) is a Romanian politician and jurist. A former leader of the Romanian Social Democratic Party (PSDR), he has been a member of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) since 2001. Athanasiu previously served ...

Alexandru Averescu Alexandru Averescu (; 9 March 1859 – 2 October 1938) was a Romanian marshal, diplomat and Populism, populist politician. A Romanian Armed Forces Commander during World War I, he served as List of Prime Ministers of Romania, Prime Minister of thr ...

* Alexandru G. Golescu *

Alexandru Marghiloman Alexandru Marghiloman (4 July 1854 – 10 May 1925) was a Romanian conservative statesman who served for a short time in 1918 (March–October) as Prime Minister of Romania, and had a decisive role during World War I. Early career Born in Bu ...

Alexandru Vaida-Voevod Alexandru Vaida-Voevod or Vaida-Voievod (27 February 1872 – 19 March 1950) was an Austro-Hungarian-born Romanian politician who was a supporter and promoter of the union of Transylvania (before 1920 part of Hungary) with the Romanian Old K ...

Religious leaders

* Alexandru Sterca-Șuluțiu * Alexandru Șafran * Alexandru Todea

Other people

* Alexandru Antemireanu * Alexandru Antoniuc * Alexandru Apolzan * Alexandru Balaban *

Alexandru Baltagă Alexandru Baltagă (April 14, 1861 – August 7, 1941) was a Bessarabian Romanian Orthodox priest, a founder of the Bessarabian religious press in the Romanian language, a member of Sfatul Țării (1917–1918), a Soviet political prisoner, and, ...

* Alexandru Batcu * Alexandru Bogdan-Pitești * Alexandru Borza * Alexandru Candiano-Popescu * Alexandru Cantacuzino (militant) * Alexandru Cantacuzino (minister) * Alexandru Caraman * Alexandru Cecal * Alexandru Ștefan Catargiu * Alexandru Cernat * Alexandru Ciucurencu * Alexandru Ciura * Alexandru Ciurcu * Alexandru Claudian * Alexandru C. Constantinescu * Alexandru Dabija * Alexandru Darie * Alexandru Davila * Alexandru Dimca * Alexandru Dincă (journalist) * Alexandru Dobriceanu * Alexandru Dobrogeanu-Gherea * Alexandru Dragomir * Alexandru Epureanu *

Alecu Filipescu-Vulpea Alecu Filipescu-Vulpea, also known as Aleco Filipescul, Alecsandru R. Filipescu or Alexandru Răducanu Filipescu (1775 – November 1856), was a Wallachian administrator and high-ranking Boyars of Wallachia and Moldavia, boyar, who played an impor ...

* Alexandru Fölker * Alexandru Frim * Alexandru Froda * Alexandru Gațcan * Alexandru Ghiban * Alexandru Ghika * Alexandru Giugaru * Alexandru Golban * Alexandru Graur * Alexandru Greab * Alexandru Groapă * Alexandru Hrisoverghi * Alexandru Ioanițiu * Alexandru Koller * Alexandru Leșco * Alexandru Ioan Lupaș * Alexandru Macedonski * Alexandru Marin (disambiguation) * Alexandru Mironescu * Alexandru Moghioroș * Alexandru Ioan Morțun * Alexandru Moşanu * Alexandru Nicolschi * Alexandru Odobescu * Alexandru Orăscu * Alexandru Paleologu * Alexandru Papadopol * Alexandru Papadopol-Calimah * Alexandru Papiu Ilarian * Alexandru Pastia * Alexandru Pesamosca * Alexandru Philippide * Alexandru A. Philippide * Alexandru Plămădeală * Alexandru Popovici (Moldovan footballer) * Alexandru Adrian Popovici *

Alexandru Proca Alexandru Proca (16 October 1897 – 13 December 1955) was a Romanian physicist who studied and worked in France. He developed the vector meson theory of nuclear forces and the Relativistic wave equations, relativistic quantum field equations tha ...

* Alexandru Repan * Alexandru Sahia * Alexandru Sătmăreanu *

Alexandru Săvulescu (architect) Alexandru Săvulescu (1847–1902) was a Romanian architect, one of his country's first prominent practitioners of modern architecture. He combined elements of traditional Byzantine architecture and Romanian architecture with French Art Nouveau i ...

* Alexandru Șerbănescu * Alexandru Șoltoianu * Alexandru Sturdza * Alexandru Suciu * Alexandru A. Suțu * Alexandru Terheș * Alexandru Toma * Alexandru Tudor-Miu * Alexandru Tudose * Alexandru Tyroler * Alexandru Usatiuc-Bulgăr * Alexandru Vulpe * Alexandru Dimitrie Xenopol * Alexandru Zaharescu * Alexandru Zub

People with the surname

* Constantin Alexandru (1953–2014), Romanian sport wrestler * Iliaș Alexandru, Ruler of Moldova * Ioan Alexandru (1941–2000), Romanian poet and politician * Maria Alexandru (1939–2024), Romanian table tennis player * Marian Alexandru (born 1977), Romanian footballer * Nicoleta Alexandru (born 1968), Romanian singer * Sadie Alexandru (born 1977), American actress and model * Valentin Alexandru (born 1991), Romanian footballer * Vasile Alexandru (born 1935), Romanian footballer

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Alexandru Romanian-language surnames Romanian masculine given names Masculine given names