Alto
Masculine · “high”
Alto is given to both — 561 boys and 31 girls since 1880. See other names given to both
Alto is a short, open name that means high or tall in Latin and the Romance languages. It has been given almost entirely to boys, and it belongs to an early medieval saint and to a California city named for one tree.
How old is the name Alto?
Alto first appears in US birth records in 1881 — 144 years ago. The typical Alto alive today was born around 1924, making them about 101 years old. About 100 people named Alto are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Alto most popular?
Alto peaked in 1897, reaching #787 nationally. See the whole 1897 chart.
Lists built from the same records:
Where it comes from
From altus to Alto
The story of Alto
Saint Alto was a monk, probably from Ireland or Scotland, who settled in a Bavarian forest in the eighth century and founded the monastery that gave the town of Altomünster its name. Far to the west, Spanish explorers camping on a California creek noted a tall redwood they called El Palo Alto, the tall stick, and the city that grew up there took the tree's name; the tree still stands. American families gave Alto to sons, most likely for the simple sound of the word.
Meaningscholars disagree
high, tall
Alto is the Italian, Spanish and Portuguese for high or tall, from Latin altus. As a given name it may come from that word or from the old saint's name Alto; the record does not say which.
How the name formed
- altus
- Alto
Related forms: Alto · Alto
Pronouncing Alto
AL-toh
Two syllables, stressed on the first.
Nicknames for Alto
Limited
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1881
- Most boys named
- 191920 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #787reached in 1897
- Change vs 1981
- −16.7%5 in 1991, from 6
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Alto in other languages
The same name elsewhere
- Alto in Italian — same name
- Alto in German — same name
Altos among us
people named Alto are estimated to be alive in the US today
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
Questions parents actually ask
Fashion outlook
Alto sits outside the current charts, and that is its own kind of answer: naming cycles can only date the names they carried up. A name this rare has no decade stamped on it — it cannot go out of fashion, because it was never in.
Based on 146 years of naming cycles. How we read them
The trade-off
- It is short, bright and easy to say.
- Al is a ready short form.
- It is almost never given now, so it is distinctive.
- Everyone will think of the singing voice, which is usually a woman's.
- A very few girls have been given it; for them the musical word may feel more natural.
Nobody names a baby alone.
Put Alto to the vote.
Add it to a family vote or a couple’s swipe deck — the other person gets one card, a simple answer and room to say why. No app, no account for them.
Only the people you invite can see your list.
Already decided on Alto? Hide it among decoys and let them guess.
What they receive
Someone added a name to your list
Alto
Masculine
Frequently asked
- How many Altos are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 100 people named Alto are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Alto in 2025?
- Alto is rarely given in the US today — it does not rank in the top 2000 boy names.
- Will my child share the name Alto with classmates?
- Alto will almost certainly be the only one in school.
More A names
The most-given names starting with A, all years combined.
Anthony#46 · Andrew#73 · Alexander#30 · Aaron#80 · Adam#101 · Arthur#87 · Albert#614 · Austin#113
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Alto? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Alto and another name?
See them side by side — full stats, history and a gentle verdict.
Compare side by sideIn a hurry? Just pick a winner — one tap, no sign-up, and you see how everyone else voted.
Weighing a whole shortlist? Add the rest in the builder, or settle it with a bracket.
Cast your vote
Which one would you pick?
Your gut first, the numbers after — the split shows once you pick.
US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
No advertising trackers and no data sellinghow we handle your dataindependent and founder-run, about Name Battle