Alexander, Sandy for short

All lovely names. Unfortuneately, I am related to a Benjamin and a James and got my heart totally broken by a Daniel. Will add Thomas and Christopher to the list though

Love it! very cute!

SarahL2, as well as Alexander we have a James and a Robert. They are family names but also Scottish Kings (and we are Scottish), if I have another I'm not sure what to call a DS as I don't like any other king's names. Really need to have some girls and give them queen's names.

We skipped the Alexander and named our boy Sandy - only one person has said 'that's a girl's name'! Mind you he's only 3 months, plenty of time for the name-calling to start

But I think it's a name that works for baby, little boy, teenager and grown-up.

Our other ds is a Christopher. I guess I just like long boys names, but I also like quite traditional names. (We also considered Thomas for ds2, after Thomas the Tank Engine which is ds1's all time favourite ).

Absolutely Sarah.

Alex doesn't have any siblings, but if he did and it was a DS, DH would be strongly arguing for Benjamin (Ben for short), although I think that is primarily because it would be alphabetical. Don't like all the Benjamin abbreviations though, not least because I'm old enough to remember Benny in Crossroads and Benji the dog.

I've always liked Daniel and Thomas, but they don't really work with our surname.

I prefer Xander

See, it's a wonderful name

Out of interest (blatant hijack too ) what have people named Alexander's siblings? I'm seriously beginning to panic that we'll never come up with anything as good if DC2 turns out to be a boy!!

Another DS1 Alexander here, although we call him Alex. Like others have said, we liked all the shortenings we could think of and that he would have some flexibility over choosing what he would like to be called when he's a bit older.

Somebody told me that Alexander is the most popular male name of all time (because of Alexander the Great), but don't know if that is true. I liked that it means protector of men, and that fitted with what I hope my gentle wee man will grow up to be .

DS1 is Alexander here as well. He's usually Alex, just because it somehow seems to fit him better. I prefer Alec to Alex though if I'm honest.

Also dreading the inevitable shortening to Al though as he gets older...

BTW DS usually gets called Al by his mates.

DS#1 is an Alexander. Usually Alex. But Sandy is good too. I knew a Scottish Sandy.

I have an Alexander and we picked it because it is so versatile and we liked all of the nicknames we could think of.

Mine is usually Alex - not very many around - and sometimes Xander but he's only 2 so I'm sure he'll pick his own when he's bigger.

I now have a problem cause we're expectng DC2 and if it's a boy, we've got to try and think of an equally lovely and versatile name!!!

I have an Alexander. He is ALWAYS called by his full name.

My mum keeps trying hard to shorten it but I think she's got the hint now and has stopped. Everyone else usually asks if it's Alex or Alexander then sticks with what I say.

I do occasionally call him Xander or Xandy. But he's only 19 months so I think I can get away with Xandy a bit longer.

To me Sandy also sounds feminine, but that's because my best friend at school was Sandra .

I liek Sandy. A cousin of mine is Sandy (scottish, yes)

ds1 is Alexander and I would rather it wasn't shortened to Alex as BiL is an Alex. We normally call him Alexander but if I do shorten it I use 'Sandy' so that hopefully, when the name inevitably gets shortened at school, that is what it is shortened to. And round these parts, Sandy is definitely not girly!!!

Sandy is a popular nn for Alexander in Scotland. I like it

I like Alexander but prefer it shortened to Alex. Sandy is (for me) a bit too feminine for a boy. Alex may be popular, but for good reason! ie it's lovely.

I've known too many female Sandys - short for Sandra - so for me it sounds quite feminine.

I agree that Alexander is lovely, but Alex is a little dull and very common (for Alexanders, Alexis', Alexandras etc), so unless you wouldn't mind Alex as nn, I wouldn't chose it.

Same with Benedict or Benjamin - lovely names but I find Ben dull and common.

We're avoiding this by chosing a 2 syllable name that won't inevitably be shortened (although you never know...).

As a nickname I mean - not in public LOL!

I've got an Alexander but we call him Alex - interestingly enough, I don't know any others round here/in family.

We call him Sandy Panda as he is very blonde

I read a book (sorry forgotten its title) about a dashing war hero called Alexander, shortened to Xan.

There are tons of Alexanders in out family and we have yet to have an Alex! None of them ever had a problem with being called Alex either! My grandfather was nicknamed Lexy (in the 1920's). My Dad Sandy and my nephew Xan. My nephew is in his 20s now and I have yet to meet any other Xan. Have heard of a few Xanders but only since Buffy the Vampire Slayer was on tv!