Boy · Greek, through English
Alec
Say it: AL-ik
Meaning
A short form of Alexander, from Greek alexein 'to defend' and anēr, andros 'man'.
Certainscholars agree on this meaning.
Used in Scotland as a pet form for centuries and given independently in the US from the 20th century.
Its wave through time
Fading since the 1990s
In the United States
- 53,947 babies given this name since 1880
- At its height in 1995, about 1 in 557 boys
- 469 babies in 2020
Through the ages
Used by
The family of the name
Other spellings: Alek, Alick
Famous bearers
- Alec Guinness, English actor
- Alec Baldwin, American actor
Names worth a look
Where this comes from
- United States Social Security birth records, 1880 to today source
- United States Social Security birth records, 1880 to today source
Meanings and histories are compiled from the study of names and their languages and checked by a second review.
Meanings and histories are drawn from the study of names and their languages, each with a confidence rating; popularity figures come from official birth records. Name histories are a living field: if you know of a correction, we would be glad to hear it.