Alexandru

Alexandru is a masculine given name, the Romanian form of the English name Alexander, derived from the Latin Alexander and the Ancient Greek Aléxandros (Αλέξανδρος), meaning "defender of mankind". Alexandru is a relatively popular name in Romania and Moldova, deeply rooted in cultural tradition and even reflected in place names such as Alexăndreni.

The name Alexandru also gives rise to patronymic surnames, such as Alexandrescu. ==Origin== Etymologically, the name is derived from the Greek "Αλέξανδρος" (Aléxandros), meaning "defending men" or "protector of men", a compound of the verb "ἀλέξω" (alexō), "to ward off, to avert, to defend" and the noun "ἀνδρός" (andros), genitive of "ἀνήρ" (anēr), "man". It is an example of the widespread motif of Greek (or Indo-European more generally) names expressing "battle-prowess", in this case the ability to withstand or push back an enemy battle line.