The popularity of the name of Alexander (Eskandar)

[Cyrus]

I was reading something about Qajar Empire and the famous Eskandari family here: http://www.qajarpages.org/eskandari.html It is obvious that the name and the last name of Eskandar or Alexander is very popular not only in Iran but many other countries, is it just because the name of Alexander III of Macedon?

[marcus]

Hi Cyrus,I've always assumed that the popularity of Iskander/Eskander (or other combinations) were down to our chum the Macedonian. I'm certainly not aware of another who would provoke such popularity.The only other that I can think of that might conceivably have a role is one or other of the Russian Tsars called Alexander - but I'm not sure that Persia was ever such friends with Russia in the 19th century to cause people to adopt the name. (Anyway, for Russian Tsars to be called Alexander was surely ultimately because of the Macedonian.)All the bestMarcus

[Cyrus]

But Russian Tsars are called the same Alexander or Aleksandr not Eskandar!

[Linda]

Some names just seem to endure - Alexander is popular in Scotland, although often it is shortened to Sandy, Alex, or Eck. Alistair/Alastair/Alister/Alasdair are the Gaelic versions. There was a Scottish king called Alexander, but I don't think he was very memorable. In fact, th efact I can't remember whether he was or not probably demonstrates this. It isn't biblical...I always think of it more as a Scottish name than an English or Irish one, but that is odd, because obviously it originated in Greece? Macedonia? I wonder if its European origin is why it isn't so popular in England. Alexandre, Alessandro etc etc Hmm - maybe Marcus (a good Roman name...) can tell me of the hundreds of Alexander he knows, but I bet that in the UK, most people called Alexander will be Scottish....

[marcus]

Hi Cyrus,Really? So in Iran you'd call the Tsar "Alexander"? I would have expected it to be 'iranised' - goes to show that you learn something new every day!I have always understood that "Iskander/Eskander" was the Arabisation of Alexander. Obviously I'm aware that Arabic is not the language of Iran, but since the spread of Islam perhaps *that* version of the name simply became the most common?All the bestMarcus

[marcus]

Hi Linda,There were actually three Scottish kings called Alexander. Whether they were memorable is, I suppose, somewhat subjective - as you say, if you can't remember too much then he/they can't have been very memorable!One of them (I think Alexander III - strangely) died when he went on a night time ride along the coast, in the middle of a storm, and fell off his horse (and over a cliff). That was fairly memorable as far as the Scots were concerned, because his death led to the succession crisis that resulted in Edward I laying claim to the kingdom ... and 50-odd years of brutal warfare. Alexander II was one of Scotland's strongest kings (pre-Bruce).All the bestMarcus

[Linda]

Just shows how much I know about Scottish history.I am ashamed. The one I remember is the one who fell off his horse over a cliff. My only excuse is that, as a child, we were forced by our oppressors, the English, to study Tudors, and, err Egyptians.Linda

[marcus]

At least they didn't force you to study Edward I and his activities in Wales and Scotland from a purely Anglocentric viewpoint. That *would* have been oppressive!I never got to do the Tudors (which is good, really, because I've never been very interested - don't like the clothes - my interest generally stops in 1485); and I never got to do the Egyptians, either. We certainly *never* did any non-English history at school, though (it was only ever Romans in Britain, never Romans in Rome).Still, at least we got taught history. With the way education in this country's going, it will soon cease to be a compulsory subject, I fear.All the bestMarcus

[Cyrus]

You are right, it is really interesting that from the Book of Arda Viraf, the Pahlavi phrase of "Alexander Gujastak Orumik" (The evil Alexander of Rome) is translated to Arabic as "Al-Malun Alexander Al-Rum" and then again to Persian (Farsi) [by removing the definite article of "Al"] as "Eskander-e Malun-e Rumi"!!