If you have or know an Alexander, what is he most often called?

[IamnotwhouthinkIam]

Help! One names on my list for DS is Alexander. But we already have an Alex in the extended family (I have a huge family so a lot of the classic or popular boys names are already used). It's not a close family member/someone we see regularly and I prefer the full name or Xan/Xand as a nn anyway.

BUT in your experience are Alexanders nearly always known as Alex?

Alex
Lex

Mainly Alex but I also know : Sandy, Alec, Ally, and Xander.

I'm an Alexandra and people always call me Alex.

My son is called Alexander. We have always referred to him as Alex though.

Thanks to everyone who has replied so far - very helpful !

Right, so it's looking like if I want to avoid Alex I need to introduce him as "Xan" straightway, as Alexander will most likely get shortened (I'd also ideally prefer to avoid Xander as it reminds me of the Buffy character - although I realise once he's old enough he'll decide himself what he wants to be called and it'll be my tough luck!).

It's annoying as I really like Alexander/Xan but maybe this means it's just not the right name...

The area of Scotland I live in is filled with Alexanders of all ages whose names are shortened to Alex but it is always pronounced 'Alec'

@IamnotwhouthinkIam

Thanks to everyone who has replied so far - very helpful !

Right, so it's looking like if I want to avoid Alex I need to introduce him as "Xan" straightway, as Alexander will most likely get shortened (I'd also ideally prefer to avoid Xander as it reminds me of the Buffy character - although I realise once he's old enough he'll decide himself what he wants to be called and it'll be my tough luck!).

It's annoying as I really like Alexander/Xan but maybe this means it's just not the right name...

I think the Alexander/Xan combination would work. It would be very rude of people to shorten his name to something else if you've offered up a nn. I like Xan

I know two. One Xander and one Alex.

Wee Eck!

I knew one elderly Scottish chap who was known as Sandy.

I know one lad who would be about 20 (Scottish heritage) who is known as Alec

Every other one I've come across is known as Alex.

Our Alexander is only ever called Alex

Zander.

I love it can be shortened to Sandy x

We have an Alexander and definitely didn’t want an Alex. We called him Alexander or occasionally Xander but it never really felt right.
As he has got older he has become Xan.
We have always said when people call him Alex and even school now call him Xan.

I have an Alexander, known as both Alex and Xander.

I know a teenage Alexander who always went by Sandy when he was little but at secondary school changed over to Alex. Bear in mind that you can only really control nicknames when they are small.

For example (not my real name) I am called Elizabeth, my mum hated Liz and always called me Beth. But at 16 I started being called Liz and now everyone calls me that.

So don't choose a name if it will upset you for them to use a different nickname later.

The ones I know are Alec, Eck, Wee Eck or Big Eck and Sandy.

Alex.
I call him Shmalex.

The one I know is either called Alex or ally.

I know two - one aged 15 always known as Alex ( and has been since birth ) and another age 22 who has always been Alexander - very close friends occasionally call him Al.

1, early 30s Alex
2, late 20s Al

I don't know him, but there's one who goes by the nn Boris day-to-day but is Al to his siblings.

Sandy

I know quite a few (work in a secondary) and they are Alex or Xander. Alex is most popular.

Alec or Sandy. Scotland

The one I know goes by Jack ' His middle name'

Tbh a nickname doesnt have to derive from their actual name, my dds pet name is Betty, her brother gets Ethel.... In your situation if his name is causing so much angst do you think you might not be better off using a different one?