Zander

A streamlined take on Alexander, Zander strips the Greek defender of men down to its last three syllables and swaps the X for a bolder Z. The short form began circulating as a nickname in the late twentieth century and has claimed its own independent rank in the U.S. top 400 since 2005, part of a broader appetite for names with Z openings that feel energetic and slightly futuristic. Two brisk syllables, the Z buzzing to life, the R grounding the finish. Zander keeps Alexander's classical pedigree while reading as entirely modern, a name for a boy with scraped knees and big ideas.