Fun Facts About the Name Alder
- More than 1 thousand babies named Alder: U.S. records list 1,430 babies given the name Alder from 1880 through 2025. Even 68 girls received the name Alder - about 1 girl for every 20 boys.
What Does the Name Alder Mean?
Alder is an English nature name meaning "alder tree." It comes from the Old English word for the tree, alor (also written aler), which named the moisture-loving tree of the genus Alnus. That Old English form descends from a Germanic root found in Old Norse ǫlr, German Erle, and Dutch els. The Latin tree name alnus is generally connected to the same ancient source. The name points straight at the tree, so its meaning is literal and botanical rather than a statement about character.
Alder Name History & Origins
The word has been the ordinary English name of the alder tree since Old English times. The alder grows in wet ground, and its wood resists decay when submerged, so it was long used for pilings and similar work. The surname Alder grew out of this same tree word, chiefly as a topographic name for someone who lived by an alder or an alder grove. The given name is a later use of the tree word, belonging to the modern practice of naming children after trees, alongside names such as Ash, Hazel, Rowan, and Willow.
Folklore attached to the tree varies by region. In parts of Ireland and Britain the alder was linked with fairies and sometimes thought unlucky to cut, and because cut alder wood reddens in the air, stories arose of the tree "bleeding." These are associations of the tree itself, not part of the name's etymology. The name is also unrelated to English elder, the elderberry tree, which has a separate origin.
How Popular is the Name Alder?
Alder has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2025. Its best rank was #1,402 in 2025.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #10,140 | 9 | 0.0006% |
| 2023 | #15,274 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2021 | #12,258 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2020 | #12,195 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2017 | #10,730 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2016 | #16,350 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2013 | #14,670 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1933 | #4,227 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1927 | #4,815 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1914 | #3,627 | 5 | 0.0007% |
| 1903 | #1,795 | 5 | 0.0019% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,402 | 130 | 0.0076% |
| 2024 | #1,421 | 129 | 0.0075% |
| 2023 | #1,464 | 123 | 0.0072% |
| 2022 | #1,447 | 125 | 0.0072% |
| 2021 | #1,529 | 115 | 0.0066% |
| 2020 | #1,743 | 88 | 0.0051% |
| 2019 | #1,698 | 93 | 0.0052% |
| 2018 | #2,045 | 70 | 0.0039% |
| 2017 | #2,270 | 58 | 0.0031% |
| 2016 | #1,938 | 75 | 0.0040% |
| 2015 | #3,152 | 36 | 0.0019% |
| 2014 | #2,663 | 45 | 0.0023% |
| 2013 | #3,756 | 27 | 0.0014% |
| 2012 | #3,234 | 34 | 0.0018% |
| 2011 | #4,661 | 20 | 0.0011% |
| 2010 | #3,897 | 26 | 0.0014% |
| 2009 | #4,431 | 22 | 0.0011% |
| 2008 | #5,496 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 2007 | #4,378 | 22 | 0.0011% |
| 2006 | #6,919 | 11 | 0.0005% |
| 2005 | #6,649 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2004 | #4,608 | 18 | 0.0009% |
| 2003 | #7,864 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2002 | #9,427 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2001 | #6,023 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2000 | #8,227 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1998 | #7,587 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1996 | #9,048 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1988 | #6,438 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1985 | #6,550 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1919 | #3,397 | 7 | 0.0007% |
| 1915 | #3,396 | 6 | 0.0007% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Alder Shapes Your Personality and Life?
Powerful and complete. You are good intellectually and require several outlets for your energies. You are not a builder but a planner, and you want others to carry out your plans. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
Dependable, very down-to-earth and well grounded, you are always looking for meaningful work, a career where you can take pride in your work and do the best job you are capable of. Your prime desire is to build protected and secure environment at home and at work. You can be very persuasive in achieving goals and gaining objectives. You can be very detailed and well-organized and possess great organizational skills. At times you may appear too stubborn and overly critical to others, but your practical approach to life and productivity makes you one of the most beneficent members of community.
✦ Alder's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Alder's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.