Alten
Of German origin, meaning "old" or "ancient".
Name Census estimates that about 2 living Americans carry the first name Alten. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Alten today is around 83 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Alten births was 1921 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Alten. 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 Alten is about 83 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Altens were born before 1953.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Alten. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
2
~ 1 in 171,377,169 Americans
Peak year
1921
5 babies that year
Average age
83
years old
1939 SSA rank
#3,490
Tracked since 1921
Popularity
Alten: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Alten from the 1920s through to the 1930s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1930s, 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
Alten 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 Alten 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 Alten
The name Alten has its origins in the Germanic languages, with roots that can be traced back to the Old High German and Old Saxon dialects spoken in central Europe during the early medieval period. The name is believed to be derived from the Old High German word "alt," meaning "old" or "ancient," and the suffix "-en," which was often used to form diminutives or endearments.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Alten can be found in the 9th century Carolingian records, where it appears as a personal name among the Frankish nobility. It is possible that the name was initially bestowed as a nickname or byname, referring to someone who was considered wise or venerable due to their age or experience.
In the 11th century, the name Alten is mentioned in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, a historical record of events in England during the early medieval period. The chronicle refers to an individual named Alten who was a prominent figure in the court of King Edward the Confessor.
Throughout the Middle Ages, the name Alten remained in use, although it was not particularly widespread. One notable bearer of the name was Alten von Altenburg, a German nobleman and crusader who participated in the Third Crusade in the late 12th century.
In the 16th century, Alten Arnoldi was a German theologian and reformer who played a role in the Protestant Reformation. He was born in 1489 and was a contemporary of Martin Luther.
During the 17th century, Alten Diestelmeyer was a German composer and organist who was active in the court of the Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg. He was born in 1629 and is known for his contributions to the development of the North German organ school.
In the 19th century, Alten Kiepert was a prominent German cartographer and publisher of maps. He was born in 1818 and his work significantly influenced the field of cartography during his lifetime.
While the name Alten has its roots in the Germanic languages, it has been adopted and used in various cultures and regions over the centuries, although it remains relatively uncommon compared to some other names of similar origin.
People
Alten + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Alten 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
Alten: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Alten?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 2 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Alten 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 171,377,169 US residents.
Is Alten a common name?
We classify Alten as "Very Rare". It ranks above 4.3% 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 Alten most popular?
The single biggest year for Alten was 1921, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Alten is about 83 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 Alten in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Alten a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Alten 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 Alten still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Alten 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 Alten 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 Alten?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.