Boy · #7,470 in 2026

Al

The nickname Al is often short for Alfred, Albert, Alphonse, Alphons, Allen, Allan, Alan, Alyson, Alysson, Allyson, Alistair, Alister, Alex, Alexander, Alexandra, Alexandrina, Alexis, Alexa, Alphonso, Alfreda, Alfredo, Alice, Alec, Alexandria, Alessandra, Alessandro, Alberto, Alberta, Alicia, Alvin, Alyssa, Alisha, Aldrin, Alden, Aldo, Alisia, Alannah, Alejandro, Alejandra, Aldwin, Ali, Allie,…

  • English
Current Rank
#7,470
Peak Rank
#285 (1959)
Total Babies
17K
5-Yr Trend
-42%
1914
First Year
1980
Last Year
1933
Peak Year
#2540
Peak Rank
255
Total Count
37
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Al

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

The nickname Al is often short for Alfred, Albert, Alphonse, Alphons, Allen, Allan, Alan, Alyson, Alysson, Allyson, Alistair, Alister, Alex, Alexander, Alexandra, Alexandrina, Alexis, Alexa, Alphonso, Alfreda, Alfredo, Alice, Alec, Alexandria, Alessandra, Alessandro, Alberto, Alberta, Alicia, Alvin, Alyssa, Alisha, Aldrin, Alden, Aldo, Alisia, Alannah, Alejandro, Alejandra, Aldwin, Ali, Allie,…

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)

  • English

The Story of Al

Al first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1880, with 12 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 1959: 440 births, good for #376 nationwide. As of 2026, Al ranks #7,470 for baby boys with 8 births, falling sharply (-42%). All told, over 17K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1880s to the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Variants & Related Forms of Al

Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Al. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Names that sound like Al

Phonetically similar names — useful when Al is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Al

What does the name Al mean?
The nickname Al is often short for Alfred, Albert, Alphonse, Alphons, Allen, Allan, Alan, Alyson, Alysson, Allyson, Alistair, Alister, Alex, Alexander, Alexandra, Alexandrina, Alexis, Alexa, Alphonso, Alfreda, Alfredo, Alice, Alec, Alexandria, Alessandra, Alessandro, Alberto, Alberta, Alicia, Alvin, Alyssa, Alisha, Aldrin, Alden, Aldo, Alisia, Alannah, Alejandro, Alejandra, Aldwin, Ali, Allie,…
What is the origin of the name Al?
Al has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: English.
How popular is Al in 2026?
In 2026, Al ranks #7,470 among boys' names in the U.S., with 8 babies given the name that year.
When was Al most popular?
Al reached its peak popularity in 1959, ranking #285 that year with 440 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Al most popular?
Al has historically been most popular in Colorado, New Mexico, North Carolina. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Al.
Is Al a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Al is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.
What names go well with Al?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Al include Sammie, Kohen, Pablo. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.
What are nicknames or variants of Al?
Common variants and related forms of Al include Alan, Albert, Albie, Alec, Alex, Alexander. These cover foreign-language equivalents, alternate spellings, and short forms.

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About the name Al

Al is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 17K births in the dataset. Al's peak popularity came in 1959 when it ranked #285. Use the chart and map above to compare Al's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

  • Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
  • Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
  • Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
  • Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
  • Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.