Alto
Masculine name of Spanish origin meaning "high" or "tall".
Name Census estimates that about 129 living Americans carry the first name Alto. It is a predominantly male name (94.8% of registrations). The average person named Alto today is around 74 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Alto births was 1917 (21 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Alto. 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 Alto is about 74 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Altos were born before 1962.
People living today
129
~ 1 in 2,657,010 Americans
Peak year
1917
21 babies that year
Average age
74
years old
1991 SSA rank
#4,322
Tracked since 1881
Census
Alto in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 237 people with the first name Alto, which placed it at #34,427 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#34,427
National first-name rank
People counted
237
237 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.1
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
Black or African American
47.3% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Alto
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Alto is Black at 47.3%. The next largest groups are White (37.6%) and Hispanic (8.9%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Alto described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Alto at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American47.3% · 112
- White37.6% · 89
- Hispanic or Latino8.9% · 21
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.0% · 7
- Two or more races2.1% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.3% · 3
Gender
Gender distribution for Alto
Alto leans heavily male at 94.8% of total registrations, but 31 girls have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Alto as a male name
- Ranked #8,270 in 1991
- 5 male births in 1991
- Peak: 1919 (20 births)
Alto as a female name
- Ranked #4,322 in 1926
- 6 female births in 1926
- Peak: 1924 (10 births)
2020 Census snapshot
In the 2020 Census sex table, Alto leans strongly male. 225 people counted with this name were male (93.4%), compared with 16 female bearers (6.6%).
Popularity
Alto: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Alto 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 145 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
Alto 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 Alto during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Altos live
Origin
Meaning and history of Alto
The name Alto has its origins in the Italian language and culture, derived from the Italian word "alto" meaning "high" or "elevated." It emerged during the Renaissance period in Italy, which spanned from the 14th to the 17th century.
Alto was initially associated with musical terminology, referring to the highest voice or range in vocal music. It was commonly used to describe high-pitched voices or notes in compositions and vocal performances. This connection to music and artistic expression was prevalent during the Renaissance, which saw a flourishing of the arts in Italy.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Alto can be found in the writings of Italian Renaissance composers and theorists. For example, the renowned composer Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (c. 1525-1594) used the term "alto" extensively in his sacred works and compositions.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have carried the name Alto, often reflecting its musical connotations or associations with height and elevation. One such individual was Alto Gallo (1811-1875), an Italian operatic tenor who gained fame for his performances in operas by composers like Gioachino Rossini and Vincenzo Bellini.
Another prominent figure was Alto Silliman (1719-1790), an American jurist and politician who served as a delegate to the Continental Congress and played a role in the American Revolutionary War. His name, while uncommon, may have been inspired by the Italian origins or the meaning of "high" or "elevated."
In the realm of literature, Alto Vazquez (1888-1959) was a Spanish poet and writer known for his works that explored themes of nature, love, and spirituality. His name, while unusual, may have been chosen for its melodic quality or artistic associations.
The Italian architect and engineer Alto Bonalumi (1835-1904) made significant contributions to the design and construction of bridges and infrastructure projects in Italy during the late 19th century. His name, Alto, may have been chosen to reflect his ambitious and elevated architectural endeavors.
Lastly, Alto Everett (1909-1992) was an American jazz saxophonist and bandleader who rose to prominence during the swing era of the 1930s and 1940s. His name, Alto, directly referenced his instrument, the alto saxophone, which he played with exceptional skill and artistry.
These examples showcase the diverse backgrounds and professions of individuals who have carried the name Alto throughout history, often reflecting its musical, artistic, or elevation-related connotations.
People
Alto + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Alto 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
Alto: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Alto?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 129 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Alto 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 2,657,010 US residents.
Is Alto a common name?
We classify Alto as "Very Rare". It ranks above 68.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 592 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Alto most popular?
The single biggest year for Alto was 1917, when 21 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Alto is about 74 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Alto in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 237 people with the name Alto, or 0.08 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #34,427 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Alto in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Alto?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Alto leans strongly male. 225 people counted with this name were male (93.4%), compared with 16 female bearers (6.6%). The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Alto?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Alto is Black at 47.3%. The next largest groups are White (37.6%) and Hispanic (8.9%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Alto most often in the Census?
Black is the largest reported group for people named Alto in the 2020 Census, accounting for 47.3% (112 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
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 Alto in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Alto a male name?
Yes, 94.8% of people registered as Alto 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 Alto still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Alto 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 Alto 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.
How common is the name Alto?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.