According to Rothman's: "Crewe Alexandra played cricket and probably rugby before they decided to form a football club in 1877. Whether they took the name 'Alexandra' from a pub where they held their meetings, or whether it was after Princess Alexandra, is a matter of conjecture." Some programme notes follow the line that a cricket team took up footy as a winter game, taking the name 'Alexandra' after Princess Alexandra, a royal figure after whom more than a few pubs were named.Football anoraks and pub-quiz devotees tend to know that Crewe Alexandra is one of the few Football League clubs with an 'x' in their name. The others are: Exeter City, Halifax Town, Oxford United and Wrexham.

Perhaps needless to say, "Alexandra" is a unique club name in the British professional football scene. There are any number of Uniteds, Cities, Rovers, Rangers, Athletics, Wanderers, Towns and Counties, but only one Alexandra. (Other unique names include: Forest, Villa, North End, Academicals, Argyle, Hotspur, Rushden and Diamonds, Harriers and Wednesday.)