Altair
Altair is the brightest star in the equatorial constellation of Aquila and the twelfth-brightest star in the night sky. It has the Bayer designation Alpha Aquilae, which is Latinised from α Aquilae and abbreviated Alpha Aql or α Aql.
- Astronomy
- Portuguese
Meaning & Origin of Altair
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Altair is the brightest star in the equatorial constellation of Aquila and the twelfth-brightest star in the night sky. It has the Bayer designation Alpha Aquilae, which is Latinised from α Aquilae and abbreviated Alpha Aql or α Aql.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- Astronomy
- Portuguese
The Story of Altair
As a girl name
Altair first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 2008, with 10 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 2014: 18 births, good for #6,711 nationwide. About 67% of every Altair on record arrived during the 2010s, its defining decade. Altair last appeared in the published SSA data in 2024, with 7 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 168 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 2000s to the 2020s.
As a boy name
American parents first put Altair on the record books as a boy name in 2008, with 5 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 2024, when 26 Altairs were born — ranking #4,055 that year. About 52% of every Altair on record arrived during the 2010s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Altair ranks #4,191 for boys with 25 births, rising sharply (+31% over the past five years). All told, over 278 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 2000s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Altair
Phonetically similar names — useful when Altair 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 Altair
What does the name Altair mean?
What is the origin of the name Altair?
How popular is Altair in 2026?
When was Altair most popular?
In which U.S. states is Altair most popular?
Is Altair a unisex name?
What names go well with Altair?
About the name Altair
Altair is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 2008 and has accumulated 278 births in the dataset. Altair's peak popularity came in 2024 when it ranked #4,055. Use the chart and map above to compare Altair's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2024 →
- Names of the 2020s →
- Names starting with "A" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
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.