Alec

Meaning: Defender of mankind
Origin: Variant of Alexander (from Greek)

Boy's name · #977 in the US (2025) · 90s wave

Popularity over time

Alec's best rank, #109, came in 1994; it has stepped well back to #977 today. Roughly 55,000 boys have been named Alec since 1880.

Across the states

See where Alec is more common.

Appears in 2020-2025 birth records of 28 states. See the full state-by-state map on this page.

Around the world

See how Alec ranks in other countries and regions.

#496 in Scotland (2025) · #504 in France (2025) · #625 in Switzerland (2025) · #801 in Belgium (2025) · #838 in Ireland (2025) · #1,008 in England & Wales (2025) · #1,040 in Netherlands (2025) · #576 in Canada (2024).

Famous Alecs

Alec Baldwin — American actor (born 1958)
Alec Guinness — British actor (1914–2000)
Alec Douglas-Home — Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1963 to 1964
Alec Benjamin — American singer-songwriter
Alec Jeffreys — British geneticist

In stories & tradition

Alec Trevelyan — GoldenEye (film)
Alec Holland — Swamp Thing (book)
Alec Gilroy — Coronation Street (TV series)

What Alecs become

Among 623 notable people named Alec:

Sports figures appear 2.12× more often than among typical names — e.g. Alec Burks, American basketball player (born 1991).

Similar names: Alex · Nickolas · Aldo · Mitchell · Alexis · Marquis

Browse more boy names — popularity, trends and eras for 5,700+ American names, free.

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