Sanders
A surname that usually means “son of Sander,” with Sander serving as a short form of Alexander.
The #94 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 1,340 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Sanders is a patronymic surname built from Sander, a medieval pet form of Alexander. The deeper root is Greek Alexandros, usually explained as “defender of men,” though the surname itself simply reflects descent from or association with a man named Sander. In older records and surname dictionaries, Sanders is treated as a close relative of Sanderson and Saunders.
History
The name is well established in England and Scotland and appears in medieval and early modern records in several spelling forms. It spread widely in the English-speaking world, especially through British migration to North America. Some old sources also link it with other local spellings or related forms such as Sanderson and Saunderson.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
In older surname studies, Sander was often treated as one of the standard medieval nicknames for Alexander, which is why Sanders, Saunders, and Sanderson cluster together.
From the historical record
“SANDERS, Sander's (Son) \ SANDERSON, Sander's Son J *• Cp. Saunders, Saunderson. SANDFORD (Eng.) Bel. to Sandford; or Dweller at the Sandy Ford [O.E. sand, sand +fori\ ' On sandford.' —”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)