Alexandre

Alexandre is a French and Portuguese form of Alexander, derived from Greek elements connected with defending and with people. Its spelling is shared by the two languages, although its pronunciation differs. That makes it an example of a name that travels internationally without every community saying it in the same way.

The French novelist Alexandre Dumas, author of The Three Musketeers and The Count of Monte Cristo, gives the name a particularly familiar literary association. Behind that bearer lies the much older Alexander family, known through ancient rulers and centuries of later use. Alex provides an easy short form, while Alexandre preserves the complete form used in French and Portuguese tradition.