İskender means “Alexander (Arabic-Persian form of the name)”. It comes from Ancient Greek. It is documented as a boy's name in Turkish, Uyghur, Kazakh, Kyrgyz and Bashkir.
- İskender is a name of Greek, Arabic, European and Persian origin.
- It is recorded for Turkish, Uyghur, Kazakh, Kyrgyz and Bashkir.
- 3 syllables (counted from the spelling) and 8 letters.
What does İskender mean?
Literally: Arabic al-Iskandar < Greek Aléxandros
Cultural association
İskender is the Turkish form of Alexander, a name that passed from Greek into Arabic as al-Iskandar and then into Persian. It is also documented as a male name in Kyrgyz (Искендер) and Kazakh (Ескендір).[1,2,5,6,7]
The sources identify the name with Alexander; they do not give a meaning for the Greek original.
Also glossed as “a male given name, Eskandar and Iskandar, from Arabic [in turn from Ancient Greek], equivalent to English Alexander”[4,5]Likely
Also glossed as “Alexander”[6]LikelyNot every component could be confirmed from its own Wiktionary entry (nodump).
İskender in Turkish, Uyghur, Kazakh, Kyrgyz and Bashkir
What does İskender mean in Turkish?
In Turkish the name is written İskender. No separate Turkish gloss is recorded, so the general meaning “Alexander (Arabic-Persian form of the name)” applies. It is recorded as a boy's name.[1,8]
What does İskender mean in Uyghur?
In Uyghur the name is written ئىسكەندەر and Iskender (ULY transliteration). Here it is glossed as “Arabized form of Alexander, ancient king of Macedonia”[7]. It is recorded as a boy's name.[7]
What does İskender mean in Kazakh?
In Kazakh the name is written Ескендір and Eskendir (Wiktionary romanization). No separate Kazakh gloss is recorded, so the general meaning “Alexander (Arabic-Persian form of the name)” applies. It is recorded as a boy's name.[5,9]
What does İskender mean in Kyrgyz?
In Kyrgyz the name is written Искендер and Iskender (as given on Wiktionary (xlit)). No separate Kyrgyz gloss is recorded, so the general meaning “Alexander (Arabic-Persian form of the name)” applies. It is recorded as a boy's name.[2]
What does İskender mean in Bashkir?
In Bashkir the name is written Искәндәр and Eskändär (Wiktionary romanization). No separate Bashkir gloss is recorded, so the general meaning “Alexander (Arabic-Persian form of the name)” applies. It is recorded as a boy's name.[6]
Where does the name İskender come from?
Ancient Greek, borrowing. Wiktionary traces the name (via Persian اسکندر) to Ancient Greek Ἀλέξανδρος (‘Alexander’).[6]✓ Documented
Persian (from Arabic, from Greek), borrowing. Greek Aléxandros became Arabic al-Iskandar and Persian Iskandar; Turkish has it through Ottoman Turkish.[1,5]✓ Documented
European, borrowing. The Dictionary of Uyghur Names gives the origin as European.[7]✓ Documented
Classical Persian and Arabic and Ancient Greek, borrowing. Borrowed from Classical Persian اِسْکَنْدَر (iskandar), from Arabic إسكندر m, from Ancient Greek Ᾰ̓λέξᾰνδρος m (Ăléxăndros).[4,5]Likely
How do you pronounce İskender?
In IPA: [iscænˈdæɾ], as given in the cited dictionary entry.
Which languages use the name İskender?
İskender is used as a given name in Turkish, Uyghur, Kazakh, Kyrgyz and Bashkir. Its origin is Ancient Greek, Persian (from Arabic, from Greek), European and Classical Persian and Arabic and Ancient Greek. The table shows for each language whether the use is documented by a cited source or comes from our editorial research.
İskender across Turkic languages
| Language | Spelling | Gender | Meaning in this language | Label |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turkish | İskenderLatin | Boy | same as above: “Alexander (Arabic-Persian form of the name)” | Documented[1,8] |
| Uyghur | ئىسكەندەرArabic script | Boy | “Arabized form of Alexander, ancient king of Macedonia” | Documented[7] |
| Kazakh | ЕскендірCyrillic | Boy | same as above: “Alexander (Arabic-Persian form of the name)” | Documented[5,9] |
| Kyrgyz | ИскендерCyrillic | Boy | same as above: “Alexander (Arabic-Persian form of the name)” | Documented[2] |
| Bashkir | ИскәндәрCyrillic | Boy | same as above: “Alexander (Arabic-Persian form of the name)” | Documented[6] |
Similar spellings in different languages do not prove a shared origin: two languages can arrive at the same sound from different words. The origin section above states what the sources say.
Spelling variations of İskender
Forms are shown as recorded, in their original script. Romanizations and rule-based conversions are labelled with their system and are not presented as attested spellings.
| Form | Language | Script | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| İskender[1] | Turkish | Latin | Native spelling |
| Yeskendir[9] | Latin spelling | Latin | Variant |
| ئىسكەندەر[7] | Uyghur | Arabic script | Native spelling |
| Iskender[7] | Uyghur | Latin | Romanization (ULY transliteration) |
| Ескендір[5] | Kazakh | Cyrillic | Native spelling |
| Eskendir[5] | Kazakh | Latin | Romanization (Wiktionary romanization) |
| Искендер[2] | Kyrgyz | Cyrillic | Native spelling |
| Iskender[2] | Kyrgyz | Latin | Romanization (as given on Wiktionary (xlit)) |
| Искәндәр[6] | Bashkir | Cyrillic | Native spelling |
| Eskändär[6] | Bashkir | Latin | Romanization (Wiktionary romanization) |
Sibling names for İskender
Names recorded for the same languages that start with a different letter, so two children are not mixed up. Names that share a meaning theme or an element with İskender rank first. Siblings do not have to match; these are only ideas.
- AkınBoy“flow, rush; raid”same language (turkish)
- OflazUnisex“fine, handsome; lavender”same language (turkish)
- MirqedemBoy“the name Qedem with the epithet Mir”same language (uyghur)
- ErgökmenUnisex“blue-eyed, fair person”same language (turkish)
- RadifeGirl“the second blast of the trumpet”same language (turkish)
- FevziBoy“victorious, triumphant”same language (turkish)
- KhafizaGirl“guardian, keeper”same language (kazakh)
- GülseminGirl“precious rose”same language (turkish)
Common questions about İskender
What does the name İskender mean?
İskender means “Alexander (Arabic-Persian form of the name)”. It comes from Ancient Greek. It is documented as a boy's name in Turkish, Uyghur, Kazakh, Kyrgyz and Bashkir.
Is İskender a girl's or a boy's name?
İskender is recorded as a boy's name. By language: Turkish: boys; Uyghur: boys; Kazakh: boys; Kyrgyz: boys; Bashkir: boys.
Where does İskender come from?
İskender is of Ancient Greek, Persian (from Arabic, from Greek), European and Classical Persian and Arabic and Ancient Greek origin according to our origin records. Read the origin section above for the sources.
Which languages use İskender?
İskender is recorded for Turkish, Uyghur, Kazakh, Kyrgyz and Bashkir. The table shows each language's spelling, gender and evidence label, and a language is listed only when our data records the name for it.
How is İskender spelled in other scripts?
Recorded spellings: İskender (Latin), Yeskendir (Latin), ئىسكەندەر (Arabic script), Ескендір (Cyrillic), Искендер (Cyrillic), Искәндәр (Cyrillic). Romanizations and rule-based conversions are labelled as such in the spelling table.
How many syllables does İskender have?
İskender has 3 syllables by our approximate count of vowel groups in the spelling, and 8 letters. Pronunciation can differ by language.
Sources
Numbers in the text point to these sources. The descriptions on this page are written by our editors; source texts are not copied.
- Wiktionary contributors. Wiktionary entry “İskender”. Wikimedia Foundation, revision 93006253. Accessed 2026-10-28. Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0.
Supports: Turkish given name equivalent to Alexander; classified as a male given name in the Turkish section; IPA [iscænˈdæɾ] (Turkish Pronunciation section); listed as a male given name in the Turkish section (+2 more)
- Wiktionary contributors. Wiktionary entry “Искендер”. Wikimedia Foundation, revision 88313761. Accessed 2026-10-28. Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0.
Supports: Kyrgyz: from Classical Persian اِسْکَنْدَر, from Arabic اَلْإِسْكَنْدَر, from Ancient Greek Ᾰ̓λέξᾰνδρος; classified as a male given name in the Kyrgyz section; listed as a male given name in the Kyrgyz section; headword of the Kyrgyz given-name entry is “Искендер” (+1 more)
- Wiktionary contributors. Wiktionary entry “الإسكندر”. Wikimedia Foundation, revision 92944627. Accessed 2026-10-28. Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0.
Supports: Arabic proper noun Alexander, borrowed from Greek Ἀλέξανδρος
- Wiktionary contributors. Wiktionary entry “اسکندر”. Wikimedia Foundation, revision 92965605. Accessed 2026-10-28. Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0.
Supports: Persian given name equivalent to Alexander, from Arabic < Ancient Greek; Classical Persian اِسْکَنْدَر ‘a male given name, Eskandar and Iskandar, from Arabic [in turn from Ancient Greek], equivalent to English Alexander’
- Wiktionary contributors. Wiktionary entry “Ескендір”. Wikimedia Foundation, revision 90035572. Accessed 2026-10-28. Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0.
Supports: classified as a male given name in the Kazakh section; classified as Kazakh given names, Kazakh male given names; etymology: Borrowed from Classical Persian اِسْکَنْدَر (iskandar), from Arabic إسكندر m, from Ancient Greek Ᾰ̓λέξᾰνδρος m (Ăléxăndros).; listed as a male given name in the Kazakh section (+4 more)
- Wiktionary contributors. Wiktionary entry “Искәндәр”. Wikimedia Foundation, revision 88381060. Accessed 2026-10-28. Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0.
Supports: classified as a male given name in the Bashkir section; IPA [is.kæn.ˈdær]; etymology states: From Persian اسکندر (eskandar), from Arabic إِسْكَنْدَر (ʔiskandar), from Ancient Greek Ἀλέξανδρος (Aléxandros, “Alexander”); listed as a male given name in the Bashkir section (+2 more)
- Uyghur Language. Dictionary of Uyghur Names. Uyghur Language (GitHub: uyghur-language/names), revision 075ed994f116b4b9e06c7d013b4fb880db679883. Accessed 2026-10-28. Licence: MIT License.
Supports: entry in the Dictionary of Uyghur Names; Uyghur gloss: قەدىمكى ماكىدونىيە پادىشاھى ئالىكساندىرنىڭ ئىسمىنىڭ ئەرەبلەشكەن ئاتىلىشى; listed as a Uyghur given name (masculine); origin: European (+2 more)
- Wikidata contributors. Wikidata item Q96658229 (İskender, male given name). Wikimedia Foundation, revision 2440478534. Accessed 2026-10-28. Licence: CC0 1.0.
Supports: Wikidata given-name item lists Turkish under P407
- Rustem Yeshpanov. KazPER Kazakh person-name list. Accessed 2026-10-28. Licence: CC BY 4.0.
Supports: listed in KazPER; KazPER English spelling Yeskendir
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