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ALEXANDER
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, German, Dutch, Hungarian
Pronounced: al-eg-ZAN-dur [key]
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From the Greek name Αλεξανδρος (Alexandros), which meant "defending men" from Greek αλεξω (alexo) "to defend, help" and ανηρ (aner) "man" (genitive ανδρος (andros)). Alexander the Great, King of Macedon, is the most famous bearer of this name. In the 4th century BC he built a huge empire out of Greece, Egypt, Persia, and parts of India. This was also the name of emperors of Russia, kings of Scotland and Yugoslavia, and eight popes. Also, Sir Alexander MacKenzie was an explorer of the north and west of Canada in the 18th century.
MARTIN
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, French, German, Russian, Romanian, Czech, Slovene, Hungarian, Bulgarian
Other Scripts: Мартин (Russian, Bulgarian)
Pronounced: MAHR-tin (English), mar-TEN (French), MAWR-teen (Hungarian) [key]
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From the Roman name Martinus, which was derived from Martis, the genitive case of the name of the Roman god MARS. Saint Martin of Tours was a 4th-century bishop who is the patron saint of France. According to legend, he came across a cold beggar in the middle of winter so he ripped his cloak in two and gave half of it to the beggar. Five popes have borne this name. Two other influential bearers were Martin Luther, the theologian who began the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century, and more recently Martin Luther King, the American civil rights leader who fought for racial equality.