Alter

Alter - A very unique male name

Alter appeared on the charts for the first time in 1958 on position #1578. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Alter and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Alter? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Alter. The baby boy name Alter was given to 10 baby boys in 2025, ranking #3107 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 146,628 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Alter peaked in popularity 68 years ago in 1958 on position 1578.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Alter, 1-5?

Alter is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Alter is currently topping the baby name charts in New York at position #1,125 - and is the least popular in New York at position #1,125.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Alter is where you live.

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Alter origin and meaning

Yiddish

Old

Alter is a traditional Yiddish name meaning old, historically given as a protective name — a child given the name Alter was, in folk custom, meant to live to old age, or to confuse the Angel of Death. It appears in United States data from 1958 and peaked in 2012, used chiefly in Orthodox Jewish families. Its meaning is plain and its history is traditional.

Attested etymology

Alter is a 5 letter name with 2 syllables.

To see famous people named Alter, pop culture references for the name Alter and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Alter

We've found the following names that sound similar to Alter, sorted by popularity.

Aldair / Alder / Altariq / Aldrin / Aldahir / Altair / Aldrich / Aldric / Alterick / Alderic /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Alter

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Alter a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Alter?

2 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

AHL-ter · /ˈɑːltər/

Around the world

No traditional forms in other languages — this name was created in America in our own time.

Famous bearers

None yet — no bearer for this name is documented well enough for us to list, so we show none rather than pad the list.

Style

International

Why parents choose it

A traditional Yiddish name with a protective folk history.

Worth knowing

• In English, Alter reads first as the verb alter, which needs a moment of explaining.