Alec
Literal root meaning: “to defend + man”
About the name Alec
Alec is a boy name with Ancient Greek roots, literally “to defend + man”. It is related to Alexander, which is where the meaning comes from.
It has a short & sweet feel. In 2025, Alec ranked #977 for boys in the US, with 234 babies given the name. Its peak year since 1940 was 1995. Since 2000, 100% of US babies named Alec were boys.
Etymology
A diminutive of Alexander, which comes from Ancient Greek, meaning “to defend” + “man”.
Name meaning adapted from Wiktionary (“Alec”, “Alexander”) by Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- US rank 2025
- #977
- In 2015
- #456
- Babies in 2025
- 234
Popularity of Alec, 1940–2025
Latest SSA data: 2025.
Popularity data: U.S. Social Security Administration national baby names (public domain; names given to at least 5 babies of one sex per year).
Nicknames for Alec
Alec is already short and sweet, so it doesn't usually get a nickname.
Names similar to Alec
Name meanings marked or linked “Wiktionary” are adapted from Wiktionary by Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; each name page links its source entry.