Alioth
A feminine name derived from the Arabic word meaning "female camel".
Name Census estimates that about 6 living Americans carry the first name Alioth. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Alioth today is around 5 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Alioth births was 2021 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Alioth. 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 Alioth. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
6
~ 1 in 57,125,723 Americans
Peak year
2021
6 babies that year
Average age
5
years old
2021 SSA rank
#10,851
Tracked since 2021
Popularity
Alioth: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Alioth 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 Alioth during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 6 | 0 | 6 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Alioth
The name Alioth is derived from the Arabic language, originating in the Middle East during the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Arabic word "al-'awwath," which means "the leader" or "the first one." This name was initially associated with a bright star in the constellation Ursa Major, also known as the Big Dipper.
In ancient Arabic astronomy, the star Alioth was considered the first and brightest star in the tail of the Great Bear constellation. As a result, the name Alioth was often used to refer to this celestial body, and it later became adopted as a personal name.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Alioth can be found in the works of the Persian astronomer and mathematician Al-Sufi, who lived from 903 to 986 CE. In his treatise on the constellations, Al-Sufi referred to the star Alioth by its Arabic name.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Alioth, although its usage has been relatively rare. One of the earliest recorded persons with this name was Alioth of Damascus, a 10th-century Arab mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the study of spherical trigonometry.
Another historical figure named Alioth was a French Benedictine monk who lived in the 12th century. He is known for his writings on theology and his involvement in the monastic reform movement of his time.
In the 16th century, Alioth Wissenburg was a German mathematician and astronomer who worked on improving celestial calculations and published works on astronomy and astrology.
During the 17th century, Alioth Krafft was a German painter and engraver known for his religious and allegorical works, particularly his etchings depicting biblical scenes.
In the 19th century, Alioth Croissant was a French composer and music teacher who wrote several operas and chamber works, although his works are relatively obscure today.
While the name Alioth has been used throughout history, it has remained relatively uncommon, likely due to its astronomical origins and its association with a specific star in the night sky. Nevertheless, it serves as a unique and intriguing name with roots in the rich cultural heritage of Arabic astronomy and medieval scholarship.
People
Alioth + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Alioth 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
Alioth: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Alioth?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 6 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Alioth 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 57,125,723 US residents.
Is Alioth a common name?
We classify Alioth as "Very Rare". It ranks above 22.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 6 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Alioth most popular?
The single biggest year for Alioth was 2021, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Alioth is about 5 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 Alioth in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Alioth a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Alioth 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 Alioth still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Alioth 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 Alioth 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 Alioth?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans are named Alioth at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.