Total births
17,079
Boys' name · since 1880
Al
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 17,079 babies named Al, peaking in 1959. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #8992
- among boys today
- 17,079
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 37%
- more common than other boys
Al currently ranks #8992 among boys' names in America, with 17,079 babies recorded since 1880.
Social Security Administration records show Al recorded 17,079 times among boys since 1880, holding rank #8992 nationally today, ahead of 37% of boys, peaking in the 1950s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #8992 among boys today
- 17,079 born since 1880
- 1950s peak decade
- 37% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Al is currently the #8992 boys' name in America, more common than 37% of boys - 17,079 born since 1880, peaking in the 1950s.
- #8992
- among boys today
- 17,079
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 37%
- more common than other boys
Al vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#8992
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 37% of names given to boys today.
1950s
Peak decade
19% of everyone ever named Al was born in this single decade.
1959
Single peak year
440 babies were named Al in 1959 - its busiest year on record.
How Al compares
17,079 Top 6% higher than 94% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Al's all-time total is 47x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Al | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 17,079 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 440 | 23 | 22,252 |
Al's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Al's SSA record in two at 1953 and the more recent half accounts for 50% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 50%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 2024, with only 8 births recorded -- set against the 1959 peak of 440, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Al at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1959
Current rank
#8,992
Active since
1880
Al popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1959)
- 440
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Al popularity over time - girls
255 total births recorded since 1914 (Al as girls' name)
Al by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1950s was Al's strongest decade.
3,219 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 19% of all-time use.
Al births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 209
1880s
209 births
- 1890s 228
1890s
228 births
- 1900s 385
1900s
385 births
- 1910s 1,227
1910s
1,227 births
- 1920s
1920s
1,428 births
- 1930s
1930s
1,924 births
- 1940s
1940s
2,345 births
- 1950s
1950s
3,219 births
- 1960s
1960s
2,520 births
- 1970s
1970s
1,409 births
- 1980s 972
1980s
972 births
- 1990s 620
1990s
620 births
- 2000s 324
2000s
324 births
- 2010s 191
2010s
191 births
- 2020s 78
2020s
78 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 3,219 births (19% of all-time use).
How Al compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Al's total volume
Al vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Al by state
Where Al concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 1,681 | 9.8% |
| #2 | California | | 1,509 | 8.8% |
| #3 | Texas | | 988 | 5.8% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 893 | 5.2% |
| #5 | Louisiana | | 622 | 3.6% |
| #6 | Michigan | | 573 | 3.4% |
| #7 | Georgia | | 556 | 3.3% |
| #8 | North Carolina | | 519 | 3.0% |
New York share of Al's total US births 9.8%
Even split
1,681 of 17,079 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 36 reporting states.
Al appears in 36 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Al? ▼
17,079 babies have been named Al since 1880. It currently ranks #8992 among boys. The peak year was 1959 with 440 births.
When was Al most popular? ▼
Al was most popular in the 1950s decade with 3,219 total births. The single peak year was 1959.
Where is Al most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Al are New York (1,681 births), California (1,509 births), Texas (988 births).
How long has the name Al been used? ▼
Al has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 146 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Al? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Alexander, Albert, Alan, Alex, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Al's data
- Al's decade-level peak was the 1950s (3,219 total births); usage has since declined to 78 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Als (1,681 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Al
Nearby Names Like Al
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Al
Alexander Boy
#27 736,123 births
Albert Boy
#607 491,861 births
Alan Boy
#167 363,313 births
Alex Boy
#205 286,169 births
Allen Boy
#572 271,796 births
Compare Al side by side: Al vs Alexander Al vs Albert Al vs Alan
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Al
Horatio #8991
1,443 births · Peak 2007
Parley #8993
687 births · Peak 1918
Lafayette #8990
4,861 births · Peak 1921
Odie #8994
2,623 births · Peak 1918
Washington #8989
2,644 births · Peak 1921
Len #8995
4,514 births · Peak 1960
Alva #8988
11,269 births · Peak 1917
Allison #8996
3,825 births · Peak 1917
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Al: #8992 Boys' Name - 17,079 Births, Peak 1959." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/al. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Al draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.