Alchemy
An ancient practice of attempting to turn base metals into gold.
Name Census estimates that about 39 living Americans carry the first name Alchemy. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 87.2% of registrations being female. The average person named Alchemy today is around 8 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Alchemy births was 2020 (9 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Alchemy. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Alchemy. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
39
~ 1 in 8,788,573 Americans
Peak year
2020
9 babies that year
Average age
8
years old
2022 SSA rank
#12,430
Tracked since 2011
Gender
Gender distribution for Alchemy
Alchemy leans heavily female at 87.2% of total registrations, but 5 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Alchemy as a male name
- Ranked #12,430 in 2022
- 5 male births in 2022
- Peak: 2022 (5 births)
Alchemy as a female name
- Ranked #15,378 in 2021
- 5 female births in 2021
- Peak: 2020 (9 births)
Popularity
Alchemy: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Alchemy from the 2010s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 20 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Alchemy by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Alchemy during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Alchemy
The given name Alchemy finds its origins in the ancient practice of alchemy, which was a combination of philosophy, chemistry, and mysticism that aimed to transform base metals into gold. The word "alchemy" itself can be traced back to the Arabic term "al-kimiya," which in turn is derived from the ancient Greek word "chēmeia," meaning "the art of mixing or blending."
While the name Alchemy is not directly mentioned in ancient texts or religious scriptures, the concept of alchemy has been present in various cultures throughout history, including ancient Egypt, Greece, China, and the Islamic world. The earliest recorded examples of individuals bearing the name Alchemy are relatively scarce, as it was primarily used as a descriptive term for the practice of alchemy rather than a personal name.
One of the earliest known individuals with the name Alchemy was Alchemy Seton, a renowned English alchemist who lived in the 16th century. Seton was known for his extensive writings on alchemy and his attempts to transform base metals into gold. Another notable figure was Alchemy Büttenbach, a German alchemist and physician who lived in the 17th century and wrote extensively on the subject of alchemy and its connection to medicine.
In the 18th century, Alchemy Montfaucon was a French scholar and antiquarian who made significant contributions to the study of ancient art and archaeology. His extensive research on ancient monuments and artifacts shed light on the historical significance of alchemy in various cultures.
During the 19th century, Alchemy Haywood was an American writer and journalist who published several works on the subject of alchemy and its historical significance. Her writings helped to popularize the study of alchemy and its connections to various philosophical and spiritual traditions.
More recently, Alchemy Redding was an American artist and sculptor who lived in the 20th century. Redding's work often incorporated alchemical symbolism and themes, reflecting her fascination with the transformative power of art and the principles of alchemy.
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who have borne the name Alchemy, reflecting the enduring influence and fascination with this ancient practice across various cultures and time periods.
People
Alchemy + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Alchemy as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with A
Other first names starting with A with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Alchemy: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Alchemy?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 39 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Alchemy going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 8,788,573 US residents.
Is Alchemy a common name?
We classify Alchemy as "Very Rare". It ranks above 50.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 39 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Alchemy most popular?
The single biggest year for Alchemy was 2020, when 9 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Alchemy is about 8 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Alchemy in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Alchemy a female name?
Yes, 87.2% of people registered as Alchemy in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Alchemy still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Alchemy in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Alchemy can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are named Alchemy?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans are named Alchemy at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.