Total births
561
Unisex name · since 1881
Alto
Alto has 561 recorded births since 1881 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1919 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- 561
- total births
- 1881–1991
- years on record
- 1910s
- peak decade
- 23%
- born in that decade
Alto is not among the current top-ranked boys names; 561 have been recorded since 1881.
Alto has 561 recorded births among boys since 1881, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used boys names, busiest in the 1910s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1881 to 1991.
- 561 total births
- 1881–1991 years on record
- 1910s peak decade
- 23% born in that decade
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
561 boys have been named Alto since 1881, peaking in the 1910s, last recorded in 1991.
- 561
- total births
- 1881–1991
- years on record
- 1910s
- peak decade
- 23%
- born in that decade
1910s
Peak decade
23% of everyone ever named Alto was born in this single decade.
1919
Single peak year
20 babies were named Alto in 1919 - its busiest year on record.
Alto's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Alto splits its recorded history at 1930: 41% of all births land in the more recent half, 59% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1881 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1919 peak of 20 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Alto at a glance
Last recorded 1991Peak year
1919
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1881
Alto popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1881–1991
- Peak year (1919)
- 20
- Annual births at peak, across 111 years of records
Alto popularity over time - girls
31 total births recorded since 1911 (Alto as girls' name)
Alto by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1910s was Alto's strongest decade.
130 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 23% of all-time use.
Alto births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 22
1880s
22 births
- 1890s 40
1890s
40 births
- 1900s 11
1900s
11 births
- 1910s
1910s
130 births
- 1920s
1920s
129 births
- 1930s
1930s
77 births
- 1940s
1940s
55 births
- 1950s
1950s
56 births
- 1960s 17
1960s
17 births
- 1970s 13
1970s
13 births
- 1980s 6
1980s
6 births
- 1990s 5
1990s
5 births
What this shows Peak: 1910s at 130 births (23% of all-time use).
How Alto 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 Alto's total volume
Alto vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Alto by state
Where Alto concentrates geographically, total births since 1881
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Alto? ▼
561 babies have been named Alto since 1881. It was last recorded in 1991. The peak year was 1919 with 20 births.
When was Alto most popular? ▼
Alto was most popular in the 1910s decade with 130 total births. The single peak year was 1919.
Where is Alto most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Alto are Alabama (155 births), Georgia (5 births).
Is Alto a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Alto is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 561 births, and as a girl's name it has 31 births.
How long has the name Alto been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Alto since 1881 -- 111 years through the most recent 1991 data.
What names are similar to Alto? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Alton, Alter, Altair, Altariq, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Alto's data
- Alto's decade-level peak was the 1910s (130 total births); usage has since declined to 5 in the 1990s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Alabama records the most Altos (155 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Alabama 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 Alto
Nearby Names Like Alto
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Alto
Alton Boy
#1573 47,457 births
Alter Boy
408 births
Altair Boy
#4186 245 births
Altariq Boy
211 births
Altonio Boy
194 births
Compare Alto side by side: Alto vs Alton Alto vs Alter Alto vs Altair
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
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, 1881–1991 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Alto: Baby Name Since 1881 - 561 Births, Peak 1919." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/alto. 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 Alto 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.