Total births
47,457
Boys' name · since 1880
Alton
47,457 babies named Alton in U.S. Social Security records since 1880, with the highest year being 1937. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #1573
- among boys today
- 47,457
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 89%
- more common than other boys
47,457 babies have been named Alton since 1880, making it today's #1573 boys' name.
Social Security Administration records show Alton recorded 47,457 times among boys since 1880, holding rank #1573 nationally today, ahead of 89% of boys, peaking in the 1920s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #1573 among boys today
- 47,457 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 89% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Alton is currently the #1573 boys' name in America, more common than 89% of boys - 47,457 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #1573
- among boys today
- 47,457
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 89%
- more common than other boys
Alton vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#1573
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 89% of names given to boys today.
1920s
Peak decade
15% of everyone ever named Alton was born in this single decade.
1937
Single peak year
836 babies were named Alton in 1937 - its busiest year on record.
How Alton compares
47,457 Top 4% higher than 96% 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
Alton's all-time total is 129x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Alton | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 47,457 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 836 | 23 | 22,252 |
Alton's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Alton splits its recorded history at 1953: 39% of all births land in the more recent half, 61% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 1881 (11 births) -- compare that against the 1937 peak of 836 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Alton at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1937
Current rank
#1,573
Active since
1880
Alton popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1937)
- 836
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Alton popularity over time - girls
375 total births recorded since 1904 (Alton as girls' name)
Alton by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Alton's strongest decade.
7,243 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 15% of all-time use.
Alton births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 191
1880s
191 births
- 1890s 276
1890s
276 births
- 1900s 1,102
1900s
1,102 births
- 1910s
1910s
4,417 births
- 1920s
1920s
7,243 births
- 1930s
1930s
7,215 births
- 1940s
1940s
6,373 births
- 1950s
1950s
5,989 births
- 1960s
1960s
4,376 births
- 1970s 2,855
1970s
2,855 births
- 1980s 2,211
1980s
2,211 births
- 1990s 1,684
1990s
1,684 births
- 2000s 1,466
2000s
1,466 births
- 2010s 1,427
2010s
1,427 births
- 2020s 632
2020s
632 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 7,243 births (15% of all-time use).
How Alton 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 Alton's total volume
Alton vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Alton by state
Where Alton concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 6,045 | 12.7% |
| #2 | North Carolina | | 4,347 | 9.2% |
| #3 | Louisiana | | 3,853 | 8.1% |
| #4 | Georgia | | 3,520 | 7.4% |
| #5 | Alabama | | 2,155 | 4.5% |
| #6 | Florida | | 2,123 | 4.5% |
| #7 | Mississippi | | 1,735 | 3.7% |
| #8 | New York | | 1,715 | 3.6% |
Texas share of Alton's total US births 12.7%
Even split
6,045 of 47,457 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 47 reporting states.
Alton appears in 47 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Alton? ▼
47,457 babies have been named Alton since 1880. It currently ranks #1573 among boys. The peak year was 1937 with 836 births.
When was Alton most popular? ▼
Alton was most popular in the 1920s decade with 7,243 total births. The single peak year was 1937.
Where is Alton most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Alton are Texas (6,045 births), North Carolina (4,347 births), Louisiana (3,853 births).
How long has the name Alton been used? ▼
Alton has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 146 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Alton? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Alto, Alter, Altair, Altariq, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Alton's data
- Alton's decade-level peak was the 1920s (7,243 total births); usage has since declined to 632 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Altons (6,045 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas 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 Alton
Nearby Names Like Alton
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Alton
Alto Boy
561 births
Alter Boy
408 births
Altair Boy
#4186 245 births
Altariq Boy
211 births
Altonio Boy
194 births
Compare Alton side by side: Alton vs Alto Alton vs Alter Alton vs Altair
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Alton
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. "Alton: #1573 Boys' Name - 47,457 Births, Peak 1937." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/alton. 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 Alton 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.