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Dictionary of Medieval Names
from European Sources

Alexander m. Ancient Greek ἀλέξω 'I defend' + Ancient Greek ἀνδρός, gen. of Ancient Greek ἀνήρ 'man'.

The name of a 2nd C pope and saint, a 3rd C Roman emperor, five 3rd C saints, three 4th C saints, a 5th C saint, a 10th C Byzantine emperor, an 11th C pope, two 12th C popes, a 12th C king of Scotland, a 13th C pope, two 13th C kings of Scotland, a 13th C prince of Novgorod and Kiev and saint, a 15th C antipope, a 15th C saint, two 15th C kings of Georgia, a 15th c prince of Wallachia, a 15th C grand duke of Luthania, a 15th-16th C pope, and a 16th C prince of Moldavia.

The popularity of this name was reinforced by various medieval Romances about Alexander the Great, one of the nine worthies.

Brabant
Latin
1312 Alexander (nom) JeanIII p. 11
England
Latin
1155 Alexander (nom) FPD p. 121, fn. 1; 1189 Alexander (nom) GASurv p. 181; 1256 Alexandri (gen) EARNb p. 3, Alexandro (abl) ibid. p. 3; 1279–80 Alexander (nom) WaHR-SK p. 52, Alexandri (gen) ibid. p. 59; 1296 Alexandri (dat) RCS-1 p. 92b; 1297 Alexander (nom) ComWil-vol1 p. 1; 1300 Alexander (nom) ProcSuf-vol3 p. 232; 1302 Alexander (nom) ComWil-vol1 p. 4; 1377 Alexander (nom) FenPT-2 p. 5, Alexandri (gen) ibid. p. 5; 1381 Alexander (nom) ibid. p. 10, Suffolk1381 p. 72, Alexandrem (acc) ibid. p. 114, Alexandri (gen) FenPT-2 p. 11, Suffolk1381 p. 132, Sandre (nom) ibid. p. 75
Early Modern English
1503 Alexander OrpingtonKe p. 74, Alexannder ibid. p. 74; 1530 Alexander LIWill-III p. 15; 1541 Alexander DEmar-vol1 p. 78; 1542/3 Alexsander SIAcc 2, Alxander ibid. 2; 1543 Alexander BarnstapleBap p. 3; 1548 Alexander StAnthonlin p. 6; 1554 Alexander BarnstapleBap p. 8, bruton-vol1 p. 108; 1555/6 Alexander ExMar 2a; 1557 Alexander bruton-vol1 p. 109; 1558–9 Alexander StMary-Ke p. 2; 1561 Alexander BEmar-vol2 p. 53, bruton-vol1 p. 31; 1562 Alexander COmar-vol5 p. 2, bruton-vol1 p. 111; 1564 Alexander ibid. p. 34; 1566 Alexander ibid. p. 35; 1568 Alexander BUmar-vol9 p. 4, COmar-vol2 p. 69; 1570 Alexander OrpingtonKe p. 3; 1571 Alexander BEmar-vol2 p. 30, OrpingtonKe p. 3; 1572 Alexander StAnthonlin p. 22; 1573 Alessander ibid. p. 23; 1574 Alexander DEmar-vol1 p. 83, StAnthonlin p. 24; 1575 Alexander OrpingtonKe p. 4, bruton-vol1 p. 7; 1576 Alexander DEmar-vol1 p. 83; 1579 Alexander OrpingtonKe p. 5; 1580 Alexsander BEmar-vol2 p. 130; 1582 Alexander BUmar-vol2 p. 63; 1586 Alexander BEmar-vol2 p. 96; 1589/90 Alexander BEmar-vol1 p. 13; 1589 Alexander DEmar-vol2 p. 17; 1590 Alexander ibid. p. 21; 1593 Alexander BEmar-vol2 p. 131; 1594 Alexander DEmar-vol1 p. 87; 1595 Alexander COmar-vol2 p. 72, DEmar-vol2 p. 30; 1598 Alexander DEmar-vol1 p. 87, StAnthonlin p. 39; 1599 Alexsander ibid. p. 40
Estonia
Middle Low German
1425 Zander BbRT p. 350; 1431 Sander ibid. p. 355; 1592 Saßa Tiik1977 p. 285
France
Latin
1067 Alexandri (gen) CartNDSaintes XII; c1136 Alexander (nom) CartNDdOurscamp CXXI, Alexandri (gen) ibid. CXXI; 1159 Alexander (nom) StVdM-II 736; 1162 Alexandri (gen) CartNDdOurscamp LXIII; 1163 Alexander (nom) clairvaux-12thc 94, Alexandri (gen) ibid. 94; 1165 Alexander (nom) ibid. 126; 1167 Alexander (nom) CartNDSaintes X, Alexandri (gen) ibid. X; 1173 Alexander (nom) clairvaux-12thc 152; 1248 Alexandro (dat) hennes-vol1 125; 1273 Alexander (nom) RegToul-13thC p. 21; 1378 Alexandri (gen) hanquetvol1 205; 1564 Alexander (nom) FlorLyon p. 172, Alexandri (gen) ibid. p. 172; 1579 Alexandro (abl) ibid. p. 40
1378 Sandero (dat) hanquetvol1 591
Old French
1296 Alixandre paris1296 p. 18; 1313 Alixandre Paris1313 p. 10; 1327 Alexandre MemDocMan-2 p. 176
Middle French
1418 Alixandre HGParis p. 372; 1421 Alixandre favier 306; 1423 Alixandre ibid. 20; 1438 Alixandre ibid. 233
Germany
Latin
1061 Alexandro (abl) quix-vol1 60; 1134 Alexander (nom) ibid. 97; 1135 Alexandri (gen) ibid. 64; 1136 Alexandro (abl) ibid. 80; 1186 Alexander (nom) quix-vol2 123; 1259 Alexander (nom) CDL-1.1.1 XXXI
Early New High German
1497 Allexander Nurn1497 982
Ireland
Latin
fin12thC Alexander (nom) MunDocIr III, p. 11, Alexandri (gen) ibid. III, p. 11
Italy
Latin
1169 Alexander (nom) clairvaux-12thc 135, Alexandri (gen) ibid. 135, Alexandro (dat) ibid. 135; 1174x1176 Alexander (nom) ibid. 163; 1177 Alexander (nom) ibid. 164; 1179 Alexander (nom) CartHaut 25, Alexandri (gen) ibid. 25; 1257 Alexander (nom) hennes-vol1 163; 1258 Alexander (nom) ibid. 173; 1265x1339 Alexandri (gen) BBC-Berg 42; 1268 Alexander (nom) ibid. p. XLI; 1310 Alexander (nom) MonRav-2 CCCL; 1348 Alexandri (gen) INP 17; 1522x1532 Alexander (nom) DSF p. 52, 30; 1527 Alexander (nom) Rome1527 p. 84, Alexandri (gen) ibid. p. 86
1376 Sandrino (abl) DouGen1 p. 73
Latvia
Latin
1300 Alexander (nom) RigSB 89
The Netherlands
Latin
1235 Alexander (nom) hennes-vol1 93
Portugal
Latin
1179 Alexander (nom) PHGCRP-I no. 4, Alexandri (gen) ibid. no. 4
Scotland
Latin
1093x1097 Alexandro (abl) ESC XIII; 1093x1107 Alexander (nom) ibid. XIV; 1095 Alexandri (gen) ibid. XV; 1107 Alexandro (dat) ibid. XXV; 1107x1117 Alexandri (gen) ibid. XXXIII; c1110 Alexander (nom) ibid. XXVI; 1115 Alexander (nom) ibid. XXVIII; 1118 Alexander (nom) ibid. XXXI; c1120 Alexander (nom) ibid. XXXVI; 1120 Alexander (nom) ibid. XXXVII; c1120 Alexandri (gen) ibid. XXXVI, Alexandro (abl) ibid. XXXV; 1120 Alexandro (dat) ibid. XXXVIII; 1122 Alexandri (gen) ibid. XLV, Alexandro (dat) ibid. XLI; 1123 Alexander (nom) ibid. XLVII; 1124 Alexander (nom) ibid. XLVIII, Alexandro (abl) ibid. L; 1214–1226 Alexander (nom) morton-vol1 2, Alexandro (abl) ibid. 1; 1235 Alexander (nom) ibid. 3, Alexandri (gen) ibid. 3; 1238 Alexander (nom) CartStAndrew p. 1; 1272x1360 Alexandro (abl) ibid. p. 3; 1376 Alexandri (gen) morton-vol1 16, Alexandro (dat) ibid. 16; 1392 Alexandro (abl) CartLevenax p. 11; 1456 Alexandro (abl) morton-vol1 14
Scots
c1550 Alexander CartNBer p. xxiii
Ukraine
Latin
1469 Allexander (nom) AGZ-18 5, Allexandrum (acc) ibid. I-5; 1480 Allexandri (gen) ibid. CIX-1317
Wales
Latin
1247 alexandri (gen) ArchCambIII p. 228
Cite as: R. Le Get, J. Uckelman, S.L. Uckelman. "Alexander". In S.L. Uckelman, ed. The Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, Edition 2015, no. 3. http://dmnes.org/2015/3/name/Alexander.