Alter
Boy · AHL-ter · Germanic
Alter is a boys' name of Germanic origin, meaning “old one”. In 2025 it ranked 5,859th for boys in the US (15 babies).
What does Alter mean?
Germanic: Yiddish, from alter 'old one'
“old one”
A traditional Yiddish name meaning old, given to a child to wish for a long life.
- Say it
- AHL-ter
Is Alter a girl's or a boy's name?
Alter is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 15 boys in the US. Too few girls were given it to be listed.
How popular is Alter in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #5,859among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 15about 1 in 110,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Too rare to calltoo few babies to tell
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 15 boys in the US were named Alter, making it the 5,859th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 9,548th. Its busiest year was 2012, with 21 boys. It first appears in the records in 1915.
2025 had more boys named Alter than any year since 2012.
Half of all the boys named Alter in the US since 1880 were born between 1992 and 2014, the years shaded on the chart below.
Alter in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 15 | #5,859 |
| 2024 | 0 | – |
| 2023 | 10 | #7,733 |
| 2022 | 11 | #7,256 |
| 2021 | 11 | #7,084 |
| 2020 | 7 | #9,548 |
| 2019 | 9 | #8,209 |
| 2018 | 9 | #8,150 |
| 2017 | 9 | #8,136 |
| 2016 | 5 | #12,180 |
| 2015 | 10 | #7,486 |
| 2014 | 11 | #7,043 |
| 2013 | 11 | #7,021 |
| 2012 | 21 | #4,530 |
| 2011 | 12 | #6,572 |
| 2010 | 7 | #9,686 |
| 2009 | 10 | #7,687 |
| 2008 | 14 | #6,065 |
| 2007 | 7 | #9,782 |
| 2006 | 12 | #6,455 |
| 2005 | 12 | #6,220 |
| 2004 | 13 | #5,807 |
| 2003 | 7 | #8,636 |
| 2002 | 10 | #6,515 |
| 2001 | 12 | #5,660 |
| 2000 | 10 | #6,309 |
| 1999 | 5 | #9,905 |
| 1998 | 5 | #9,623 |
| 1997 | 5 | #9,259 |
| 1996 | 10 | #5,528 |
| 1995 | 7 | #6,985 |
| 1994 | 0 | – |
| 1993 | 5 | #8,693 |
| 1992 | 5 | #8,426 |
| 1991 | 0 | – |
| 1990 | 0 | – |
| 1989 | 0 | – |
| 1988 | 0 | – |
| 1987 | 0 | – |
| 1986 | 0 | – |
| 1985 | 8 | #4,693 |
| 1984 | 9 | #4,212 |
| 1983 | 0 | – |
| 1982 | 5 | #6,383 |
| 1981 | 5 | #6,260 |
| 1980 | 5 | #6,248 |
| 1979 | 0 | – |
| 1978 | 5 | #5,769 |
| 1977 | 0 | – |
| 1976 | 6 | #4,933 |
| 1975 | 0 | – |
| 1974 | 0 | – |
| 1973 | 0 | – |
| 1972 | 0 | – |
| 1971 | 0 | – |
| 1970 | 0 | – |
| 1969 | 0 | – |
| 1968 | 5 | #4,135 |
| 1967 | 0 | – |
| 1966 | 0 | – |
| 1965 | 0 | – |
| 1964 | 0 | – |
| 1963 | 0 | – |
| 1962 | 0 | – |
| 1961 | 0 | – |
| 1960 | 0 | – |
| 1959 | 5 | #3,986 |
| 1958 | 7 | #3,273 |
| 1957 | 0 | – |
| 1956 | 0 | – |
| 1955 | 0 | – |
| 1954 | 0 | – |
| 1953 | 0 | – |
| 1952 | 0 | – |
| 1951 | 0 | – |
| 1950 | 0 | – |
| 1949 | 0 | – |
| 1948 | 5 | #3,665 |
| 1947 | 0 | – |
| 1946 | 0 | – |
| 1945 | 0 | – |
| 1944 | 0 | – |
| 1943 | 0 | – |
| 1942 | 0 | – |
| 1941 | 0 | – |
| 1940 | 0 | – |
| 1939 | 0 | – |
| 1938 | 0 | – |
| 1937 | 0 | – |
| 1936 | 0 | – |
| 1935 | 0 | – |
| 1934 | 0 | – |
| 1933 | 6 | #3,267 |
| 1932 | 0 | – |
| 1931 | 0 | – |
| 1930 | 5 | #3,999 |
| 1929 | 0 | – |
| 1928 | 0 | – |
| 1927 | 0 | – |
| 1926 | 0 | – |
| 1925 | 0 | – |
| 1924 | 0 | – |
| 1923 | 0 | – |
| 1922 | 7 | #3,530 |
| 1921 | 0 | – |
| 1920 | 6 | #3,814 |
| 1919 | 7 | #3,390 |
| 1918 | 0 | – |
| 1917 | 0 | – |
| 1916 | 0 | – |
| 1915 | 5 | #3,824 |
Names like Alter
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Asher Adler Archer Walker Cooper Parker Axel Hunter Ander Wilder Carter Jasper
Names related to Alter
More Germanic names
Amelia Liam Henry Charlotte William Archie Charlie Emma Freddie Ella Harry Millie Albie Matilda Louie Miles