Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Alessandro

Alessandro is the Italian form of Alexander. Alexander is the Latinized form of the ancient Greek name “Alexandros”, composed of the elements “alexein” meaning “to defend” and “andros” meaning “man, warrior” in the possessive sense which brings us to the full meaning of Alessandro: “defender of mankind”. The most famous bearer was Alexander the Great, King of Macedon in the 4th century B.C.; he was (and is) considered the greatest military general of all time. Alexander the Great successfully defeated the Persian Empire in its entirety, expanding his empire east to India and south to Egypt, spreading and infusing Hellenistic culture far and wide. His “great” name was adopted throughout Europe in many different languages dating back to the classical era. Indeed, Alexander and his linguistic brethren are among the most enduring and time-tested of all ancient names in Western Civilization. Some of Alexander’s linguistic variants include Alexandros (ancient Greek); Aleksander (Scandinavian); Alexandre (French); Alistair (Scottish); Alejandro (Spanish) and Aleksandr or Sasha in Russian. Diminutives for Alessandro (Italian) include Ale and Sandro. Currently, Alessandro is the #2 most popular baby boy’s name in Italy (only Francesco has him beat).

All About the Baby Name – Alessandro

Personality

OF THE BOY NAME ALESSANDRO

The number Nine personality represents the completion or ending of the cycle, and a need for perfection. This is the personality that moves from "self" to a greater understanding and compassion for the human condition and the world order. They want to make the world a better place. Nines are capable of great spiritual and humanitarian achievements. They are courageous and fearless, able to fight great battles on behalf of worthy causes. These personalities will not tolerate injustice. They are compassionate people with a strong sensitivity to others. They are able to both educate and inspire. Friendships and relationships are the lifeblood to the Nine, and they place a high value on love and affection. Nines are often exceptionally gifted artistically, and they have a keen imagination and enterprising mind.

Popularity

OF THE BOY NAME ALESSANDRO

Although we saw large numbers of Italian immigration to the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Italian name Alessandro did not appear on America’s Top 1000 list of baby boy names until 1998. Since that time, the name has increased in popularity mainly due to a trendy interest in Italian names – it’s still a low-moderate choice in terms of usage. Alessandro’s highest position on the charts to-date came in 2006 at #616 out of 1000 (making him a rather uncommon name nationwide). Still, many parents with and without Italian ancestry are looking to Italy for inspiration. Names like Francesco, Matteo, Giovanni and Luca, for instance, have all done relatively well in more recent years. No wonder American parents are drawn to Italian names for both their sons and daughters – they are upbeat, lyrical, romantic and ultra cosmopolitan.

Quick Facts

ON ALESSANDRO

GENDER:

Boy

ORIGIN:

Italian

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

4

RANKING POPULARITY:

630

PRONUNCIATION:

ahl-e-SAHN-dro

SIMPLE MEANING:

Defender of mankind

Characteristics

OF ALESSANDRO

Multi-talented

Intuitive

Oneness

Idealistic

Philanthropy

Independent

Perfection

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Alessandro

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME ALESSANDRO

We cannot find any significant literary characters by the name of Alessandro

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME ALESSANDRO

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Alessandro


Popular Songs

ON ALESSANDRO

Alessandro
an opera composed by George Frideric Handel

Famous People

NAMED ALESSANDRO

Alessandro Volta (Italian physicist/inventor of the battery)
Alessandro Del Piero (Italian footballer)
Alessandro Scarlatti (Italian composer)
Alessandro Petacchi (Italian cyclist)
Alessandro Manzoni (Italian poet/writer)
Alessandro Nesta (Italian footballer)
Alessandro Stratta (celebrity chef)
Alessandro Safina (Italian opera tenor)

Children of Famous People

NAMED ALESSANDRO

We cannot find any children of famous people with the first name Alessandro

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME ALESSANDRO

We cannot find any historically significant people with the first name Alessandro