Alco
From the Spanish meaning "little wing" or "winged one".
Name Census estimates that about 0 living Americans carry the first name Alco. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Alco today is around 0 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Alco births was 1926 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Alco. 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 Alco. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
0
~ - Americans
Peak year
1926
5 babies that year
Average age
-
1926 SSA rank
#4,212
Tracked since 1926
Popularity
Alco: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Alco 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 Alco during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1920s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Alco
The given name Alco has its origins in the ancient Germanic languages. The name is believed to have derived from the Proto-Germanic word "alk," which meant "elk" or "noble deer." This suggests that the name may have initially been used to denote strength, bravery, or a connection to nature.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Alco can be found in the Codex Argenteus, a 6th-century manuscript containing a translation of the Bible into Gothic. The manuscript mentions an individual named Alco, who is believed to have been a Goth living in what is now modern-day Italy or Spain during the late Roman period.
In the Middle Ages, the name Alco gained some popularity among Germanic tribes, particularly in regions that are now part of Germany and the Netherlands. Several historical figures from this period bore the name, including Alco of Bremen, a Frisian chieftain who led a rebellion against the Franks in the 9th century.
During the Renaissance, the name Alco saw a resurgence in usage, particularly in Italy. One notable bearer of the name was Alco Boccaccio (1349-1421), an Italian scholar and statesman who served as ambassador to various European courts and was a close friend of the renowned writer Giovanni Boccaccio.
In the 17th century, Alco Grammont (1618-1686), a French nobleman and military officer, gained fame for his participation in the Thirty Years' War. He served under Louis XIV and was known for his bravery and leadership on the battlefield.
Another significant figure with the name Alco was Alco van Eyck (1670-1741), a Dutch painter and engraver who was part of the Baroque tradition. His works, which often depicted scenes from classical mythology and literature, were highly regarded during his lifetime and are still celebrated today.
While the name Alco has fallen out of widespread use in modern times, it remains a part of the cultural heritage of various Germanic and European societies. Its historical associations with strength, nobility, and artistic expression continue to imbue it with a sense of tradition and cultural significance.
People
Alco + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Alco 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
Alco: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Alco?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 0 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Alco 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 - US residents.
Is Alco a common name?
We classify Alco as "Very Rare". It ranks above 2.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Alco most popular?
The single biggest year for Alco was 1926, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Alco is about 0 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 Alco in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Alco a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Alco in the SSA data are male. 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 Alco still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Alco 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 Alco 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 Americans are named Alco?
See how many people share the name Alco on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.