Zander
Usually a shortened form of Alexander, and in some cases a reduced form of Sander from the same name.
The #7,373 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 68,337 Americans shares it.
Etymology
This surname is generally explained as a clipped form of the personal name Alexander, with the initial syllable dropped. In some traditions it is also treated as a reduced form of Sander, itself another short form of Alexander. The ultimate root is Greek Alexandros, commonly interpreted as 'defender of men' or 'protector of mankind.'
History
19th-century German surname studies record Zander as a shortened personal-name surname, especially from Alexander, and note related forms such as Xander and Sander. The name appears in German-speaking areas and adjacent regions, where short forms of given names often became hereditary surnames. Because similar-looking surnames can arise independently in different places, some individual family lines may have more than one historical pathway.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Older surname writers sometimes list Zander alongside Xander as an example of how names were clipped from the front in everyday speech before becoming fixed family names.
From the historical record
“Päpste. FN. Alexander. Mit Kürzung im Anlaut: Xander — Zander (s. Pott S. 111, wo- nach in Elbing Alexander als VN. in Zander gekürzt wird) — Sander (Schutt, Braunschweiger PN. 8). Alexins II. griech. „Helfer«, N. vieler ost- römischen Kaiser.”
— Die deutschen Familiennamen