Alec is a boy name with a modern feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Alec means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Alec across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Alec has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Alec is a boy name of Greek origin meaning “defender of the people”. A short form of Alexander.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 55,489 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 2,043 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 203 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 32 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 200 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Alec per year, United States (1880 to 2025). United States peaked in 1995 (3,457/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 1996 (109/yr) · Ireland peaked in 2020 (12/yr) · Scotland peaked in 2007 (12/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 2006 (5/yr).
Alec has been a fairly common baby name in the United States. It was most common in 1995, when it ranked #207 nationally (given to 3,460 babies that year), and a popular choice in the 1990s.
Aleck · Alek · Alica · Alga · Alka · Elic · Alok · Algy
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