Alexander

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Dictionary of Medieval Names
from European Sources

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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.