Xandra
Feminine · Greek roots · “a short form of Alexandra”
Xandra is the back half of Alexandra standing on its own, and it begins with a letter whose sound changes from language to language. English says an initial x as z, so Xandra is ZAN-druh; in Portuguese or Catalan the same x would be sh, and in Nahuatl names like Xochitl it is s.
How old is the name Xandra?
Xandra first appears in US birth records in 1948 — 77 years ago. The typical Xandra alive today was born around 2005, making them about 20 years old. About 500 people named Xandra are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Xandra most popular?
Xandra peaked in 2004, reaching #4172 nationally. See the whole 2004 chart.
Lists built from the same records:
Where it comes from
From Alexandros (Greek) to Xandra
The story of Xandra
Alexandra has thrown off short forms from both ends: Alex and Alexa from the front, Sandra and Zandra from the back. Xandra keeps the x that Zandra replaces, and with it a letter whose sound depends on who is reading. In English an x at the start of a word is said as z, as in xylophone; Portuguese, Catalan and Galician use x for sh; and in Mexican names from Nahuatl, such as Xochitl, it is said s. American readers will say ZAN-druh almost every time.
Meaning
a short form of Alexandra, 'defender of men'
Xandra has no history apart from Alexandra, the feminine of the Greek Alexandros, 'defender of men.' The meaning is Alexandra's; the short form adds none of its own.
How the name formed
- AlexandrosGreek
- Alexandra
- Xandra
Pronouncing Xandra
ZAN-druh
Two syllables, stress on the first; the x is said as a z.
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1948
- Most girls named
- 200433 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #4172reached in 2004
- Change vs 2023
- −37.5%5 in 2024, from 8
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Xandras among us
people named Xandra are estimated to be alive in the US today
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
Questions parents actually ask
Fashion outlook
Xandra sits outside the current charts, and that is its own kind of answer: naming cycles can only date the names they carried up. A name this rare has no decade stamped on it — it cannot go out of fashion, because it was never in.
Based on 146 years of naming cycles. How we read them
The trade-off
- Carries Alexandra's long history in a short form.
- Distinctive on paper while simple to say.
- Rare, so it will seldom be shared.
- People meeting it for the first time may try KSAN-druh or ex-AN-druh; one correction usually settles it.
- It will often be misspelled Zandra or Xandria.
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Xandra
Feminine · Greek roots
Frequently asked
- How many Xandras are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 500 people named Xandra are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Xandra in 2025?
- Xandra is rarely given in the US today — it does not rank in the top 2000 girl names.
- Will my child share the name Xandra with classmates?
- Xandra will almost certainly be the only one in school.
More X names
The most-given names starting with X, all years combined.
Ximena#183 · Xiomara#463 · Xochitl#1098 · Xena#1261 · Xitlali#1229 · Xenia#2895 · Xyla#760 · Xitlaly#3067
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Xandra? See the current top 100.
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US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
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