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Alexander is a common male first name. It also occurs, less frequently, as a surname. The name in English is taken from the Latin "Alexander", which is a romanization of the Greek name ΑλÎξανδÏος (Alexandros). Etymologically, the name is a compound of the Greek verb ἀλÎξειν (alexein) "to defend" and the noun ἀνδÏός (andros), genitive of á¼€Î½Î®Ï (anÄ“r) "man". Thus it may be roughly translated as "protector of man".The term is either a rare type of "inverse tatpurusha" compound, with the modifier in second position (the cognate Sanskrit tatpurusha being *nararaká¹£a, cf. Ramayana 6.33.45; the exact Sanskrit counterpart would be *raká¹£inara, from PIE hleks(i)-hnros), or a worn-down terpsimbrotos type compound, whose original verbal meaning was "he protects men".
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Maine, USA
