Alejandro
Meaning of Alejandro
Alejandro is the Spanish form of Alexander, from the Greek Alexandros, meaning "defender of men." The Greek name joins alexein, "to defend," with anēr, "man." In Spanish it is pronounced ah-leh-HAHN-droh, with the j said like a strong h. English speakers often say al-uh-HAHN-droh.
The name is common throughout the Spanish-speaking world, where Alexander the Great is known as Alejandro Magno. Well-known bearers include the Mexican filmmaker Alejandro González Iñárritu, who won Academy Awards for directing Birdman and The Revenant. Alejandro is also the title of a 2010 Lady Gaga hit.
In the United States, Alejandro climbed for decades before peaking at 88th in 1999 and again in 2001, when 4,557 boys received the name, the most in any year. It has since declined, ranking 195th in 2025 with 1,842 boys.
Pronunciation
Spanish
- Pronunced as ah-leh-HAHN-droh (/aleˈxandɡo/)
English
- Pronunced as al-uh-HAHN-droh (/ˈæləkˈzændrə/)
U.S. Popularity Chart
States Popularity Chart
Similar Names to Alejandro
Notable People Named Alejandro
| Former Peruvian president Alejandro Toledo, who rose to prominence by opposing Alberto Fujimori, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for accepting $35 million in bribes from Odebrecht. |
| Alejandro González Iñárritu - Mexican filmmaker Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu is famed for psychological dramas like Amores perros, Birdman, and The Revenant, earning major acclaim and five Academy Awards. |
| Alejandro Mayorkas is an American attorney and Democratic official who served as the seventh Secretary of Homeland Security from 2021 to 2025, after leading USCIS and serving as deputy secretary. |
| Alejandro Villanueva Martin is a Spanish American former NFL offensive tackle, a West Point graduate and Army captain who served three tours in Afghanistan with the 75th Ranger Regiment and later played for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens. |
| Alejandro Davidovich Fokina is a Spanish professional tennis player who reached career highs of 18th in singles and 196th in doubles and is currently the number two Spanish player. |
| Alejandro Bedoya is an American soccer midfielder and captain for the Philadelphia Union in Major League Soccer. |
| Alejandro Sabella was an Argentine footballer and manager from Buenos Aires who played for River Plate, Sheffield United, Leeds United, Estudiantes, Gremio, Ferro Carril Oeste, and Irapuato. |
| Alejandro Zaera-Polo - Alejandro Zaera Polo is a Spanish architect and theorist who founded Alejandro Zaera Polo and Maider Llaguno Architecture and was formerly dean of the Princeton School of Architecture and the Berlage Institute. |
| Pedro Alejandro Escovedo is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter from a musical family, active since the late 1970s in punk, roots rock, and alt-country scenes in Austin, San Francisco, and New York. |
| Alejandro Betancourt López - Leopoldo Alejandro Betancourt Lopez is a Venezuelan businessman who chairs Derwick Associates, leads an international investment group, serves as a director and major shareholder of Pacific Exploration and Production, and is president of Hawkers sunglasses. |
| Alejandro Amenábar - Alejandro Amenabar is a Chilean Spanish film director, screenwriter, and composer who has won nine Goya Awards and two European Film Awards, writes and scores most of his films, and accepted the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film for The Sea Inside on behalf of Spain. |
| Alejandro Morera Soto was a Costa Rican striker for Alajuelense and is widely regarded as one of the greatest in Costa Rican football history. |
