Algy
A diminutive form of the English name Algernon or Alfred.
Name Census estimates that about 3 living Americans carry the first name Algy. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Algy today is around 73 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Algy births was 1927 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Algy. 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 Algy is about 73 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Algys were born before 1963.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Algy. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
3
~ 1 in 114,251,446 Americans
Peak year
1927
5 babies that year
Average age
73
years old
1943 SSA rank
#3,551
Tracked since 1927
Popularity
Algy: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Algy from the 1920s through to the 1940s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1940s, with 5 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
Algy 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 Algy 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 Algy
The name Algy is a diminutive form of the given name Algernon, which has its roots in the Old French language. Algernon is derived from the Old French phrase "aux gernonz," meaning "with mustaches." This phrase likely originated as a nickname for someone with distinctive facial hair.
The name Algernon first appeared in written records in the 11th century, during the Norman conquest of England. It was brought to England by Norman nobles and quickly became a popular name among the aristocracy. One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was Algernon de Montefort, a Baron who lived in the 12th century.
In the 13th century, the name gained further prominence when it was adopted by the powerful Percy family of Northumberland. The most famous bearer of the name from this period was Algernon Percy, 4th Earl of Northumberland (1345-1408), a prominent military leader during the Hundred Years' War.
During the English Renaissance, the name Algernon became associated with literary circles. The poet and courtier Sir Algernon Charles Swinburne (1837-1909) was a leading figure in the Aesthetic movement and a celebrated writer of his time.
In the 20th century, the name Algy gained popularity as a diminutive form of Algernon. One notable bearer was Algy Puff (1887-1972), a British character actor who appeared in numerous films and television shows throughout his long career.
Another famous Algy was Sir Algy Mostyn-Owen (1903-1976), a British cricketer who played for the Marylebone Cricket Club and represented England in Test matches during the 1930s.
The name Algy has also been used in literature and popular culture. In Oscar Wilde's play "The Importance of Being Earnest," one of the characters is named Algernon Moncrieff, often referred to as "Algy" by his friends and family.
People
Algy + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Algy 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
Algy: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Algy?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 3 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Algy 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 114,251,446 US residents.
Is Algy a common name?
We classify Algy as "Very Rare". It ranks above 4.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 10 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Algy most popular?
The single biggest year for Algy was 1927, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Algy is about 73 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 Algy in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Algy a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Algy 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 Algy still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Algy 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 Algy 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 share the name Algy?
Want to know how many Americans are named Algy? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.