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.
- #7,366 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 561
- born since 1881
- 1910s
- peak 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.
- #7,366 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- 561 born since 1881
- 1910s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Alto ranks #7,366 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 561 born since 1881, peaking in the 1910s.
- #7,366 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 561
- born since 1881
- 1910s
- peak decade
Alto's 561 recorded births place it above 83.78% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 2 jurisdictions, led by Alabama.
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 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
1910s is the heaviest window (130 births, 23% of the file).
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 by state
Where Alto concentrates geographically, total births since 1881
Frequently Asked Questions
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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
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
Compare Alto side by side: Alto vs Alton Alto vs Alter Alto vs Altair
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Alto: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1919)
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, 1881–1991 (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 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 August 2026.