Fun Facts About the Name Alek
- More than 4 thousand babies named Alek: U.S. records list 4,649 babies given the name Alek from 1880 through 2025. Even 86 girls received the name Alek - about 1 girl for every 53 boys.
What Does the Name Alek Mean?
Alek is a masculine given name meaning "defender of men." It comes from Greek through the name Alexander, and is most often used as a short form or variant of Alexander. The Greek name Alexandros is usually explained as a compound of alein, "to defend" or "to ward off," and anēr, "man" (genitive andros). The literal sense is "man-defender" or "one who defends men"; "defender of mankind" is the customary English rendering. Alek is also a variant spelling of Alec, the English and Scottish short form of Alexander. In Polish, Alek is a standard diminutive of Aleksander, the Polish form of Alexander, so it carries the same inherited meaning rather than a separate etymology.
Alek Name History & Origins
The name Alexander goes back to the Greek Alexandros, borne in Greek myth and history and most famously by Alexander the Great, king of Macedon in the fourth century BC. From Greek it passed into Latin as Alexander and then into the languages of medieval and modern Europe. Alek itself is not an ancient Greek form; it belongs to later European naming as a short form. In Scotland, Alexander became a royal and common given name, and its English and Scottish short forms include Alec, Alex, and Sandy. In English, Alek is a variant spelling of Alec. In Polish, Alek is a standard diminutive of Aleksander, the Polish form of Alexander. The spelling Alek is now used in English-speaking countries as both a short form and a standalone given name. A recent literary example is Alek, a protagonist in Scott Westerfeld's Leviathan series; this is a modern fictional use, not the name's origin.
How Popular is the Name Alek?
Alek recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 1999. Its best rank was #935 in 1994.
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 | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | #15,406 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2019 | #12,514 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2017 | #14,228 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2014 | #13,146 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2013 | #14,673 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2011 | #16,888 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2009 | #13,779 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2008 | #15,478 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2007 | #12,720 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2006 | #13,659 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2002 | #15,540 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1998 | #12,492 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1994 | #13,489 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1992 | #11,783 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #2,604 | 50 | 0.0029% |
| 2024 | #1,964 | 79 | 0.0046% |
| 2023 | #1,667 | 102 | 0.0060% |
| 2022 | #1,747 | 95 | 0.0054% |
| 2021 | #1,645 | 101 | 0.0058% |
| 2020 | #1,518 | 110 | 0.0064% |
| 2019 | #1,507 | 113 | 0.0063% |
| 2018 | #1,539 | 110 | 0.0061% |
| 2017 | #1,525 | 108 | 0.0058% |
| 2016 | #1,500 | 113 | 0.0060% |
| 2015 | #1,317 | 134 | 0.0070% |
| 2014 | #1,362 | 125 | 0.0065% |
| 2013 | #1,305 | 132 | 0.0070% |
| 2012 | #1,294 | 134 | 0.0071% |
| 2011 | #1,170 | 152 | 0.0080% |
| 2010 | #1,278 | 136 | 0.0071% |
| 2009 | #1,330 | 130 | 0.0066% |
| 2008 | #1,271 | 137 | 0.0067% |
| 2007 | #1,152 | 154 | 0.0074% |
| 2006 | #1,127 | 153 | 0.0074% |
| 2005 | #1,289 | 119 | 0.0060% |
| 2004 | #1,152 | 136 | 0.0069% |
| 2003 | #1,141 | 132 | 0.0067% |
| 2002 | #1,139 | 125 | 0.0064% |
| 2001 | #1,010 | 148 | 0.0076% |
| 2000 | #973 | 154 | 0.0078% |
| 1999 | #944 | 154 | 0.0080% |
| 1998 | #1,017 | 133 | 0.0070% |
| 1997 | #1,116 | 113 | 0.0060% |
| 1996 | #955 | 135 | 0.0071% |
| 1995 | #968 | 131 | 0.0069% |
| 1994 | #935 | 138 | 0.0071% |
| 1993 | #1,118 | 101 | 0.0051% |
| 1992 | #1,262 | 80 | 0.0040% |
| 1991 | #1,171 | 89 | 0.0044% |
| 1990 | #1,420 | 62 | 0.0030% |
| 1989 | #1,476 | 56 | 0.0028% |
| 1988 | #1,817 | 37 | 0.0019% |
| 1987 | #2,335 | 24 | 0.0013% |
| 1986 | #2,429 | 22 | 0.0012% |
| 1985 | #2,945 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 1984 | #3,707 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1983 | #4,509 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1982 | #3,488 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1981 | #6,292 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1980 | #4,950 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1978 | #3,217 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1975 | #3,955 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1973 | #5,114 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1921 | #3,532 | 7 | 0.0006% |
| 1919 | #4,173 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1916 | #2,547 | 10 | 0.0011% |
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 Alek 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.
You are always looking for an opportunity to achieve financial and emotional security. You are basically peacemaker. You understand the law of harmony and desire to balance your life with those around you. You may feel incomplete without someone to share your love, ideals, wealth or work. You can be very sensitive and could appear a bit shy and perceptive. You have developed intuition, patience and the ability to nurture others. You can achieve the state of happiness if you are willing to accept your needs in a complimentary relationship and go to create them.
✦ Alek's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Alek's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.