It is the first attested form of its variants, including Alexander. Etymologically, the name is a compound of the Greek verb ἀλέξειν and ἀνήρ. Thus it may be roughly translated as "defender of man" or "protector of man". The name Alexandra was one of the epithets given to the Greek goddess Hera and as such is usually taken to mean "one who comes to save warriors". The earliest attested form of the name is the Mycenaean Greek 𐀀𐀩𐀏𐀭𐀅𐀨, written in the Linear B syllabic script. Alexandra and its masculine equivalent, Alexander, are both common names in Greece as well as countries where Germanic, Romance, and Slavic languages are spoken.
Getting around Alexandra the local way
- Get in}} The airport is mainly for smaller charter, cargo and classic airline flights; it is in fact busier than Johannesburg International and sees more air traffic.
- Get aroundGenerally, it is a bad idea to make use of minibus taxis unless accompanied by locals.
- Get aroundTraffic can be aggressive, and minibus taxis in particular often defy the rules of the road.
- Get aroundPublic transport in Johannesburg is provided by city buses and informal minibus services.
- Get aroundForeigners are advised to use only normal sedan taxis (metered or fixed-price taxes that transport only you and your travel partners), as minibus taxis have a reputation for being rather unsafe.
- Get aroundThe minibus taxis, however, are very cheap and are the quickest way between two points.
From Wikivoyage: Johannesburg, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us. Last edited 2026-09.
Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Mike Peel (see Commons), Wikimedia Commons.