Al

Al: name meaning, origin & popularity

Meaning
“noble”
Origin
Germanic
Say it
AL · 1 syllable
Used for
Boys (98% of all uses)

Short form of names such as Albert, Alfred, Alan, or Alvin. Because it can represent several full names, its exact etymology depends on the source name.

How popular is Al?

20242.4 per million US babies
1880192019602000
Drag the line or the slider to read any year. Values are per million US births recorded by Social Security. Records before about 1937 undercount births, so early peaks can look taller than they were.

Babies named Al in 20248

Peak year1882

Total US babies since 188017,323

Al is steady now but far below its 1882 peak.

Names like Al

Variants, related forms and names with the same roots.

  • Williamresolute protector · Germanic
  • Henryhome ruler · Germanic
  • Charlesfree man · Germanic
  • Milessoldier or merciful · Germanic
  • Robertbright fame · Germanic
  • Milogracious; dear · Germanic
  • Luisfamous warrior · Germanic
  • Richardbrave ruler · Germanic

Al questions

What does the name Al mean?

Al means "noble". It comes from Germanic. Short form of names such as Albert, Alfred, Alan, or Alvin. Because it can represent several full names, its exact etymology depends on the source name.

Is Al a boy or girl name?

Al is mainly a boy's name in US records (99% of uses since 1880).

How popular is Al?

8 US babies were named Al in 2024. Its peak year was 1882.

How do you pronounce Al?

Al is usually pronounced AL.

Birth counts: US Social Security Administration national data, 1880–2024 (names given to 5+ babies of a sex in a year). How we write meanings.