Algot
An Old Norse masculine name derived from "all" and "goti" meaning "all-good".
Name Census estimates that about 1 living Americans carry the first name Algot. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Algot today is around 123 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Algot births was 1918 (10 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Algot. 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 Algot is about 123 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Algots were born before 1913.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Algot. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
1
~ 1 in 342,754,338 Americans
Peak year
1918
10 babies that year
Average age
123
years old
1920 SSA rank
#4,303
Tracked since 1891
Popularity
Algot: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Algot from the 1890s through to the 1920s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1910s, with 33 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1910s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Algot 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 Algot during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Algots live
Origin
Meaning and history of Algot
The name Algot originates from Old Norse and has its roots in the Old Norse words "algr" meaning "elf" and "gotr" meaning "good". It is believed to have been first used in Scandinavia during the Viking era, around the 8th to 11th centuries CE. The name was likely used as a reference to being favored by the elves or supernatural beings in Norse mythology.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Algot can be found in the Icelandic Landnámabók, a medieval text that details the settlement of Iceland. It mentions an Algot Holmsteinsson who was among the early settlers in Iceland in the late 9th century.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Algot. One of the earliest was Algot Brunonides (c. 1085-1138), a Swedish Catholic bishop and saint who played a significant role in the Christianization of Sweden during the 12th century.
In the 13th century, Algot Magnusson (c. 1210-1286) was a Swedish nobleman and one of the most powerful men in Sweden during his lifetime. He served as the Jarl (Earl) of Västergötland and played a crucial role in the political affairs of the kingdom.
Another famous Algot was Algot Torne (1737-1804), a Swedish painter and engraver who was known for his landscape paintings and etchings. His works are displayed in several museums in Sweden.
In more recent times, Algot Emil Andersson (1888-1959) was a Swedish engineer and inventor who is best known for developing the world's first modern waste disposal unit, commonly known as the garbage disposal or garburator.
Algot Natt och Dag (1890-1971) was a Swedish author and poet who is considered one of the most prominent writers of the Swedish literary movement known as the Arbetarlitteratur (Workers' literature).
These examples demonstrate the historical significance and usage of the name Algot, particularly in Scandinavia and among individuals of Swedish descent.
People
Algot + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Algot 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
Algot: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Algot?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Algot 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 342,754,338 US residents.
Is Algot a common name?
We classify Algot as "Very Rare". It ranks above 3.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 53 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Algot most popular?
The single biggest year for Algot was 1918, when 10 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Algot is about 123 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 Algot in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Algot a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Algot 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 Algot still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Algot 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 Algot 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 Algot?
Find out how many people share the name Algot on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.