Surname Alaksandru - Meaning and Origin
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Alaksandru: What does the surname Alaksandru mean?
The last name Alaksandru is an example of an ancient Lithuanian name that is still in use today. This name originates from the Lithuanian word “alaksas” which translates to means “defender” and “andras” which translates to “man.” Therefore, the name Alaksandru can be interpreted to mean “defender of men.”
This last name was first mentioned in the Lithuanian province of Vilnius in 1583 when a tax book was created for all landowners in the area. This could imply that the first surnames could have been widely adopted in Lithuania at least a couple of centuries before this.
Throughout history, people of this last name became landowners and their ranks included a variety of different professions. For example, members of the Alaksandru family are known to have served in the highest positions in the military of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in the 18th century, as well as being appointed as members of the Senate, or Seimas, of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in the 17th century.
In modern-day Lithuania, the Alaksandru family remains a prominent one. The last name can be found all over the country, and it is associated not only with a long and distinguished past but also with a bright promising future. It is a name that carries a sense of responsibility and pride to its bearers.
Order DNA origin analysisAlaksandru: Where does the name Alaksandru come from?
The last name Alaksandru is the Albanian form of the familiar name Alexander, and is most commonly found today in the countries that have a large Albanian population—namely Albania, Serbia, Montenegro, and Kosovo. Albanians are an ethnic group which has roots in the ancient Illyrian people that inhabited the region we now know as the Balkan peninsula in southeast Europe. During the 4th century BC, Illyrian kingdom of Illyria was conquered by the Greeks and later by the Romans, which is when the element Alaksandru or Alexander began to be added to different first names.
The use of surnames was adopted when the Ottoman Empire invaded the area in the 15th and 16th centuries. It’s believed that the adoption of the last name Alaksandru was a way to distinguish the Illyrian bloodlines and show loyalty to Alexander the Great.
Today, the Alaksandru surname is most prevalent in the Albanian language as it has been passed down through generations. It is estimated that there are currently approximately 120,000 people with the last name Alaksandru living throughout the four countries. The name can also be found among Albanian diaspora populations in places such as the United States and Canada.
Outside of Albania, the last name Alaksandru is often spelled alternatively with the “x” instead of a “ks”, making it look more like the traditional Greek spelling of Alexander. It can also be found with the traditional Latin spelling Alexandrus.
Variations of the surname Alaksandru
The surname Alaksandru has multiple spelling variations and surnames with similar origins. Common variants of the surname include Alaksandrov, Alaksandroff, Alaksandriski, and Alaksandri. In some cases the ending of the name may be altered slightly; for instance, Alaksandr could be spelled Alaksandrw or Alaksandrwf.
The spelling of the surname Alaksandru may also have been changed over time depending on the language and culture of the persons using it. In Russian, it would likely be spelled Алаксандру, while Ukrainian speakers may write it in the Cyrillic alphabet as Олаксандру.
Throughout history, certain surnames and spelling variations may also have been adopted as a result of immigration. For instance, Alaksandru could be Anglicized to Alexander, Aleksandro, Aleksandar, or Alexandrov in different regions and countries. Similarly, it may also be found as Alexandroff, Alksandr, Alksandar, Aleksandru, or Alksandroff in areas with significant Polish populations.
Finally, in Jewish culture, the surname Alaksandru may have been changed to Sander, Alexanderovich, or Sandor, all of which can be traced back to the same origin. Overall, it is clear that this surname has been adapted over time and across cultures, giving rise to multiple spellings and variants.
Famous people with the name Alaksandru
- Alexander Kalashnikov: actor, director, and founder of Cheburashka Productions
- Dmitry Alaksandru: Belarusian poet, writer, and playwright
- Gheorghe Alaksandru: Moldovan poet and journalist
- Rainis Alaksandru: Latvian poet, playwright, and translator
- Seraphim Alaksandru: Primate of the Romanian Orthodox Church from 2010-2013
- Andrius Alaksandru: Lithuanian painter and sculptor
- Elena Alaksandru: Russian fashion designer
- Vladimir Alaksandru: Soviet diplomat and ambassador to the United Kingdom from 1966 to 1978
- Lifakia Alaksandru: Soviet-era musicologist and professor at the University of Perm
- Alla Alaksandru: Ukrainian film director and screenwriter