Algie
A diminutive form of the French masculine name 'Algernon', derived from Germanic elements meaning "with mustache/tousled hair".
Name Census estimates that about 583 living Americans carry the first name Algie. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 80.9% of registrations being male. The average person named Algie today is around 69 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Algie births was 1919 (50 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Algie. 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
- • The typical person named Algie is about 69 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Algies were born before 1967.
People living today
583
~ 1 in 587,915 Americans
Peak year
1919
50 babies that year
Average age
69
years old
1991 SSA rank
#5,970
Tracked since 1880
Gender
Gender distribution for Algie
Algie leans heavily male at 80.9% of total registrations, but 361 girls have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Algie as a male name
- Ranked #8,264 in 1991
- 5 male births in 1991
- Peak: 1919 (37 births)
Algie as a female name
- Ranked #5,970 in 1956
- 5 female births in 1956
- Peak: 1920 (16 births)
Popularity
Algie: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Algie from the 1880s through to the 1990s, spanning 12 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 390 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Algie 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 Algie during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Algies live
The SSA's state-level files cover 6 states and territories. Virginia, Texas, Alabama recorded the most babies named Algie, while Tennessee, Arkansas, North Carolina recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 26 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Algie
The name Algie has its origins in the Old English language, derived from the word "aelfgyfu," which means "elf gift." It is a diminutive form of the name Alfred, which was a popular name among the Anglo-Saxons.
During the Middle Ages, the name Algie became more common in England and Scotland. It was often associated with nobility and royalty, as many high-ranking individuals bore this name. One notable example is Algie, Earl of Arundel, who lived in the 12th century and fought alongside Richard the Lionheart during the Third Crusade.
In the 16th century, the name Algie gained popularity among the Puritans in England. They favored biblical and virtue names, and Algie was seen as a virtuous name due to its meaning of "elf gift." One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Algie is in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Nottingham, where an Algie Smythe was baptized in 1583.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Algie. One of the most famous was Algie Martin Woodward (1822-1904), an American author and poet who wrote under the pen name "Walter de la Mare." Another was Algie Maitland Simons (1870-1951), a British lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for the Unionist Party.
In the 20th century, the name Algie gained some recognition through the character of Algie Longworth Chesney in the popular novel and film series "Jeeves and Wooster" by P.G. Wodehouse. Algie Longworth Chesney was a recurring character known for his eccentric behavior and love for golf.
Another notable Algie was Algie Pollock (1914-1996), a Scottish professional golfer who won several tournaments during his career, including the Dunlop Masters in 1958 and the Dutch Open in 1960.
Lastly, Algie Mortimer Baird (1888-1954) was a Canadian politician who served as a Member of Parliament for the Conservative Party and held various cabinet positions, including Minister of National Defense and Minister of Transport.
While the name Algie was more common in the past, it has become somewhat rare in modern times. However, it still holds a rich history and cultural significance, particularly in England and Scotland, where it originated and gained prominence.
People
Algie + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Algie 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
Algie: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Algie?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 583 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Algie 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 587,915 US residents.
Is Algie a common name?
We classify Algie as "Very Rare". It ranks above 86% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,890 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Algie most popular?
The single biggest year for Algie was 1919, when 50 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Algie is about 69 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Algie a male name?
Yes, 80.9% of people registered as Algie 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.
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.