Alec
- Gender
- Boy
- Say it
- AL-ek
- Origin
- Greek
- UK rank, 2025
- #936 for boys
- US rank, 2025
- #977 for boys
Alec is a boys' name of Greek origin, meaning “defender of men”. In 2025 it ranked 936th for boys in the UK (36 babies) and 977th for boys in the US (234 babies).
What does Alec mean?
Greek: short form of Alexander
“defender of men”
A short form of Alexander, long popular in Scotland.
More on Wiktionary.
Is Alec a girl's or a boy's name?
Alec is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 36 boys in the UK and 234 boys in the US. Too few girls were given it to be listed.
How popular is Alec in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #936among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 36about 1 in 8,300 boys
- Five-year trend
- Fallingdown 33% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 36 boys in the UK were named Alec, making it the 936th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 691st. Its busiest year was 1996, with 115 boys.
It has been given to fewer boys each year for the last 4 years. 2025 had the fewest boys named Alec since the records began in 1996.
Half of all the boys named Alec in the UK since 1996 were born between 2001 and 2015. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier boys aren't counted.
Among boys in 2025, it was 1,007th in England and Wales and 495th in Scotland.
In the England and Wales top 100 for boys, which the ONS has published every ten years since 1904: 1904 (#90), 1914 (#84), 1924 (#94) and 1934 (#100).
Alec in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 36 | #936 |
| 2024 | 38 | #899 |
| 2023 | 50 | #750 |
| 2022 | 57 | #681 |
| 2021 | 62 | #654 |
| 2020 | 55 | #691 |
| 2019 | 78 | #547 |
| 2018 | 51 | #741 |
| 2017 | 65 | #632 |
| 2016 | 71 | #590 |
| 2015 | 56 | #678 |
| 2014 | 59 | #655 |
| 2013 | 63 | #617 |
| 2012 | 57 | #670 |
| 2011 | 61 | #625 |
| 2010 | 65 | #579 |
| 2009 | 72 | #534 |
| 2008 | 98 | #422 |
| 2007 | 105 | #383 |
| 2006 | 97 | #392 |
| 2005 | 78 | #418 |
| 2004 | 101 | #334 |
| 2003 | 106 | #311 |
| 2002 | 90 | #327 |
| 2001 | 95 | #321 |
| 2000 | 91 | #331 |
| 1999 | 97 | #318 |
| 1998 | 96 | #301 |
| 1997 | 114 | #275 |
| 1996 | 115 | #271 |
How popular is Alec in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #977among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 234about 1 in 7,300 boys
- Five-year trend
- Fallingdown 47% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 234 boys in the US were named Alec, making it the 977th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 588th. Its busiest year was 1995, with 3,420 boys.
It has been given to fewer boys each year for the last 10 years. 2025 had fewer boys named Alec than any year since 1983.
Half of all the boys named Alec in the US since 1880 were born between 1993 and 2004, the years shaded on the chart below.
Alec in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 234 | #977 |
| 2024 | 274 | #880 |
| 2023 | 290 | #841 |
| 2022 | 346 | #745 |
| 2021 | 390 | #682 |
| 2020 | 470 | #588 |
| 2019 | 518 | #543 |
| 2018 | 521 | #539 |
| 2017 | 575 | #506 |
| 2016 | 617 | #492 |
| 2015 | 665 | #456 |
| 2014 | 624 | #467 |
| 2013 | 626 | #453 |
| 2012 | 606 | #449 |
| 2011 | 659 | #421 |
| 2010 | 669 | #417 |
| 2009 | 730 | #406 |
| 2008 | 774 | #389 |
| 2007 | 872 | #363 |
| 2006 | 982 | #329 |
| 2005 | 1,127 | #292 |
| 2004 | 1,333 | #246 |
| 2003 | 1,526 | #226 |
| 2002 | 1,749 | #206 |
| 2001 | 2,155 | #173 |
| 2000 | 2,479 | #156 |
| 1999 | 2,892 | #132 |
| 1998 | 3,356 | #112 |
| 1997 | 3,137 | #123 |
| 1996 | 3,308 | #117 |
| 1995 | 3,420 | #112 |
| 1994 | 3,322 | #109 |
| 1993 | 2,090 | #154 |
| 1992 | 1,866 | #172 |
| 1991 | 1,539 | #199 |
| 1990 | 978 | #271 |
| 1989 | 603 | #371 |
| 1988 | 426 | #438 |
| 1987 | 446 | #413 |
| 1986 | 377 | #447 |
| 1985 | 290 | #514 |
| 1984 | 252 | #547 |
| 1983 | 203 | #601 |
| 1982 | 147 | #717 |
| 1981 | 131 | #760 |
| 1980 | 125 | #782 |
| 1979 | 91 | #917 |
| 1978 | 96 | #877 |
| 1977 | 94 | #873 |
| 1976 | 97 | #845 |
| 1975 | 80 | #916 |
| 1974 | 60 | #1,065 |
| 1973 | 85 | #860 |
| 1972 | 88 | #856 |
| 1971 | 105 | #786 |
| 1970 | 105 | #796 |
| 1969 | 94 | #797 |
| 1968 | 98 | #748 |
| 1967 | 93 | #761 |
| 1966 | 117 | #683 |
| 1965 | 116 | #692 |
| 1964 | 114 | #722 |
| 1963 | 76 | #863 |
| 1962 | 75 | #878 |
| 1961 | 91 | #796 |
| 1960 | 100 | #763 |
| 1959 | 99 | #765 |
| 1958 | 81 | #834 |
| 1957 | 76 | #860 |
| 1956 | 75 | #864 |
| 1955 | 54 | #1,021 |
| 1954 | 42 | #1,150 |
| 1953 | 51 | #1,014 |
| 1952 | 70 | #835 |
| 1951 | 55 | #942 |
| 1950 | 50 | #976 |
| 1949 | 53 | #945 |
| 1948 | 56 | #922 |
| 1947 | 70 | #830 |
| 1946 | 53 | #911 |
| 1945 | 36 | #1,077 |
| 1944 | 34 | #1,135 |
| 1943 | 34 | #1,170 |
| 1942 | 39 | #1,089 |
| 1941 | 36 | #1,091 |
| 1940 | 32 | #1,183 |
| 1939 | 30 | #1,194 |
| 1938 | 25 | #1,337 |
| 1937 | 38 | #1,031 |
| 1936 | 28 | #1,243 |
| 1935 | 23 | #1,422 |
| 1934 | 32 | #1,173 |
| 1933 | 32 | #1,159 |
| 1932 | 33 | #1,175 |
| 1931 | 21 | #1,538 |
| 1930 | 37 | #1,151 |
| 1929 | 26 | #1,413 |
| 1928 | 35 | #1,211 |
| 1927 | 54 | #937 |
| 1926 | 43 | #1,064 |
| 1925 | 53 | #924 |
| 1924 | 50 | #993 |
| 1923 | 56 | #913 |
| 1922 | 60 | #891 |
| 1921 | 69 | #825 |
| 1920 | 67 | #816 |
| 1919 | 60 | #850 |
| 1918 | 59 | #855 |
| 1917 | 69 | #749 |
| 1916 | 36 | #1,072 |
| 1915 | 57 | #804 |
| 1914 | 47 | #770 |
| 1913 | 37 | #777 |
| 1912 | 21 | #1,000 |
| 1911 | 15 | #855 |
| 1910 | 18 | #707 |
| 1909 | 15 | #714 |
| 1908 | 10 | #877 |
| 1907 | 11 | #814 |
| 1906 | 6 | #1,110 |
| 1905 | 12 | #699 |
| 1904 | 14 | #612 |
| 1903 | 7 | #910 |
| 1902 | 9 | #793 |
| 1901 | 5 | #1,057 |
| 1900 | 15 | #648 |
| 1899 | 5 | #1,050 |
| 1898 | 0 | – |
| 1897 | 6 | #941 |
| 1896 | 12 | #641 |
| 1895 | 5 | #1,078 |
| 1894 | 6 | #953 |
| 1893 | 5 | #1,034 |
| 1892 | 5 | #1,065 |
| 1891 | 6 | #840 |
| 1890 | 11 | #603 |
| 1889 | 0 | – |
| 1888 | 9 | #704 |
| 1887 | 5 | #921 |
| 1886 | 5 | #959 |
| 1885 | 9 | #641 |
| 1884 | 7 | #764 |
| 1883 | 5 | #891 |
| 1882 | 8 | #691 |
| 1881 | 7 | #705 |
| 1880 | 11 | #571 |
Names like Alec
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Alexander Alex Adam Andrew Luke Jason Matthew Nathan Aaron Austin Christian Christopher
Names related to Alec
More Greek names
Luca Theodore Sophia George Theo Lucas Sofia Sebastian Penelope Phoebe Margot Chloe Sophie Zoe Iris Maisie
Sources
Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Alec: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/alec, updated 20 October 2026.