Origin of the name ALEXANDER Back

Origin

ALEXANDER : (Greek.) An aider or benefactor of men. From the Greek to aid or help, and a man. A powerful auxiliary.

ADAMS : (Hebrew) Man, earthly, or red. The surname of Adam is of great antiquity in Scotland. Duncan Adam, son of Alexander Adam, lived in the reign of King Robert Bruce, and had four sons, from whom all the Adams, Adamsons, and Adies in Scotland are descended.

GUNN : (Br.) Local. From Gun, a plain, a down or common; Welsh, gwaen. A person whose name was Gunn complained to a friend that his attorney, in his bill, had not let him off easily. 'That's no wonder,' said his friend, 'as he charged you too high !' But this is not so good as an entry in the custom-house books of Edinburgh, where it appears that 'A,' meaning Alexander 'A. Gunn was discharged for making a false report !' Lower.

GOON : (Br.) Local. From Gun, a plain, a down or common; Welsh, gwaen. A person whose name was Gunn complained to a friend that his attorney, in his bill, had not let him off easily. 'That's no wonder,' said his friend, 'as he charged you too high !' But this is not so good as an entry in the custom-house books of Edinburgh, where it appears that 'A,' meaning Alexander 'A. Gunn was discharged for making a false report !' Lower.

McALLISTER : The son of Alister, the Gaelic, for Alexander. Callester, in the Welsh, signifies a flint, figuratively, an invincible man. Galluster, in Cor. Br., expresses might, power.

McCALLISTER : The son of Alister, the Gaelic, for Alexander. Callester, in the Welsh, signifies a flint, figuratively, an invincible man. Galluster, in Cor. Br., expresses might, power.

NEQUAM : (Latin.) Dishonest, lazy. Alexander Nequam, of St Albans, wishing to devote himself to a monastic life, in the abbey of his native town, applied to the ruler of that establishment for admission. The abbot's reply was thus laconically expressed: Si bonus sis, venias, si Nequam, nequaquam. If good; you may come; if wicked, by no means. It is said he changed his name to Neckham, and was admitted into the fraternity.

SANDS : (Danish.) Sense, wit; or it may be from Sand, Sandy, a Scottish abbreviation of Alexander.

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Map

Geographic distribution of the 134,246 individuals with the name ALEXANDER on Geneanet.

This last name in the family trees

See below the Geneanet members' family trees which contain the last name ALEXANDER