Boys' name · since 1915
Alter
Since 1915, U.S. Social Security records show 408 babies named Alter, peaking in 2012. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #8,901 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #5,904 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 408
- born since 1915
- 2000s
- peak decade
408 babies have been named Alter since 1915, making it today's #5904 boys' name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Alter has been recorded 408 times among boys since 1915, currently ranked #5904 nationally and more common than 58% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 2000s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1915 to 2025.
- #8,901 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #5,904 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 408 born since 1915
- 2000s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Alter ranks #8,901 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #5,904 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 408 born since 1915, peaking in the 2000s.
- #8,901 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #5,904 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 408
- born since 1915
- 2000s
- peak decade
Alter's 408 recorded births place it above 80.4% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 2 jurisdictions, led by New York.
How Alter compares
408 Top 48% higher than 52% of 13,930 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
Alter's all-time total is 11% above the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Alter | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 408 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 21 | 34 | 22,252 |
Alter's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Alter's SSA record in two at 2000 and the more recent half accounts for 65% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 35%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1915, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 2012 peak of 21, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Alter popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1915–2025
- Peak year (2012)
- 21
- Annual births at peak, across 111 years of records
Alter popularity over time - girls
18 total births recorded since 1914 (Alter as girls' name)
Alter by decade
2000s is the heaviest window (107 births, 26% of the file).
2000s was Alter's strongest decade.
107 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 26% of all-time use.
Alter births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 12
1910s
12 births
- 1920s 13
1920s
13 births
- 1930s 11
1930s
11 births
- 1940s 5
1940s
5 births
- 1950s 12
1950s
12 births
- 1960s 5
1960s
5 births
- 1970s 11
1970s
11 births
- 1980s 32
1980s
32 births
- 1990s 42
1990s
42 births
- 2000s
2000s
107 births
- 2010s
2010s
104 births
- 2020s
2020s
54 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 107 births (26% of all-time use).
Alter by state
Where Alter concentrates geographically, total births since 1915
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 172 | 42.2% |
| #2 | New Jersey | | 5 | 1.2% |
172 of 408 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 2 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What to do with Alter's data
- Alter's usage has stayed within range of its 2000s decade-level peak (107 total births) through the 2020s (54) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- New York records the most Alters (172 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Alter
Nearby Names Like Alter
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Alter
Compare Alter side by side: Alter vs Alton Alter vs Alto Alter vs Altair
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Alter
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Alter: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2012)
Similar record span (~110 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 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, 1915–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
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 Alter 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 August 2026.