How To Write Alexander Graham Bell's Name . Alexander adopted his middle name graham' at the age of 11, out of admiration for a family friend called alexander graham. A challenge that alexander had was as his sibling died due to tuberculosis, and he was starting to get the symptoms a week later after his siblings passed. Letter from Alexander Graham Bell to Alexander Melville Bell, February from www.loc.gov Bell was given the nickname the father of the deaf because both his mother and wife were deaf and he hoped to eliminate hereditary deafness and this was ironic because he was trying to do/be the opposite and help the deaf. Alexander bell was credited with numerous patents and inventions. To begin with, aleck's bearing of the name graham has an interesting tale behind it.