Total births
4,563
Boys' name · since 1916
Alek
Since 1916, U.S. Social Security records show 4,563 babies named Alek, peaking in 1999. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #1972
- among boys today
- 4,563
- born since 1916
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 86%
- more common than other boys
4,563 babies have been named Alek since 1916, making it today's #1972 boys' name.
Social Security Administration records show Alek recorded 4,563 times among boys since 1916, holding rank #1972 nationally today, ahead of 86% of boys, peaking in the 2000s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1916 to 2025.
- #1972 among boys today
- 4,563 born since 1916
- 2000s peak decade
- 86% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Alek is currently the #1972 boys' name in America, more common than 86% of boys - 4,563 born since 1916, peaking in the 2000s.
- #1972
- among boys today
- 4,563
- born since 1916
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 86%
- more common than other boys
Alek vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#1972
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 86% of names given to boys today.
2000s
Peak decade
30% of everyone ever named Alek was born in this single decade.
1999
Single peak year
154 babies were named Alek in 1999 - its busiest year on record.
How Alek compares
4,563 Top 13% higher than 87% 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
Alek's all-time total is 12x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Alek | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 4,563 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 154 | 23 | 22,252 |
Alek's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Alek splits its recorded history at 2000: 70% of all births land in the more recent half, 30% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1919 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1999 peak of 154 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Alek at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1999
Current rank
#1,972
Active since
1916
Alek popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1916–2025
- Peak year (1999)
- 154
- Annual births at peak, across 110 years of records
Alek popularity over time - girls
86 total births recorded since 1992 (Alek as girls' name)
Alek by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2000s was Alek's strongest decade.
1,388 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 30% of all-time use.
Alek births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 15
1910s
15 births
- 1920s 7
1920s
7 births
- 1970s 25
1970s
25 births
- 1980s 198
1980s
198 births
- 1990s
1990s
1,136 births
- 2000s
2000s
1,388 births
- 2010s
2010s
1,257 births
- 2020s 537
2020s
537 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 1,388 births (30% of all-time use).
How Alek 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 Alek's total volume
Alek vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Alek by state
Where Alek concentrates geographically, total births since 1916
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 718 | 15.7% |
| #2 | Texas | | 585 | 12.8% |
| #3 | Florida | | 215 | 4.7% |
| #4 | Arizona | | 170 | 3.7% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 152 | 3.3% |
| #6 | New York | | 72 | 1.6% |
| #7 | Michigan | | 71 | 1.6% |
| #8 | Pennsylvania | | 68 | 1.5% |
California share of Alek's total US births 15.7%
Even split
718 of 4,563 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 26 reporting states.
Alek appears in 26 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Alek? ▼
Since 1916, Social Security records show 4,563 babies named Alek. Today it holds rank #1972 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 1999, with 154 births.
When was Alek most popular? ▼
Alek was most popular in the 2000s decade with 1,388 total births. The single peak year was 1999.
Where is Alek most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Alek are California (718 births), Texas (585 births), Florida (215 births).
How long has the name Alek been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Alek since 1916 -- 110 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Alek? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Alexander, Alex, Alejandro, Alexis, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Alek's data
- Alek's usage has stayed within range of its 2000s decade-level peak (1,388 total births) through the 2020s (537) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Aleks (718 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California 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 Alek
Nearby Names Like Alek
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Alek
Alexander Boy
#27 736,123 births
Alex Boy
#205 286,169 births
Alejandro Boy
#186 146,624 births
Alexis Boy
#484 68,075 births
Alec Boy
#881 55,152 births
Compare Alek side by side: Alek vs Alexander Alek vs Alex Alek vs Alejandro
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Alek
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, 1916–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Alek: #1972 Boys' Name - 4,563 Births, Peak 1999." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/alek. 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 Alek 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.