Holding steady, #4,857 for boys today.
Popularity of Aloysius since 1880
Babies named Aloysius per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 1916, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Aloysius's real moment was 1898.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Boys |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 119 |
| 1890s | 252 |
| 1900s | 261 |
| 1910s | 1,372 |
| 1920s | 1,477 |
| 1930s | 632 |
| 1940s | 340 |
| 1950s | 254 |
| 1960s | 217 |
| 1970s | 157 |
| 1980s | 144 |
| 1990s | 102 |
| 2000s | 121 |
| 2010s | 161 |
| 2020s | 115 |
Meaning & origin
Aloysius is a name with deep Catholic roots, borne by Saint Aloysius Gonzaga and favored by English-speaking Catholic families since the 19th century. Its peak year was 1898, when it ranked 347, but by 2025 it had fallen to rank 4857, with only about 1 in 85404 boys receiving the name. The trajectory is stable, meaning its usage has remained consistently low in recent decades, neither sharply declining nor reviving. While it has never been a top name nationally, it retains a classic, scholarly air, often associated with Jesuit schools and traditional families.
Aloysius is the Latinized form of Alois, itself a Germanic name derived from the elements 'ala' (all) and 'wis' (wise), though it has also been associated with 'hlud' (famous) and 'wig' (war), giving the meaning 'famous warrior.' It came into widespread use in Catholic Europe through the veneration of Saint Aloysius Gonzaga (1568-1591), an Italian Jesuit saint. The name was popular among English-speaking Catholics in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Where Aloysius is most popular
Births per 100,000 boys by state. Press play or drag the slider to watch it move across the decades. The lightest shade means too few recorded births.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Al, Ally, Weesh, Lou
Sibling names for Aloysius
Names that share Aloysius's style, for a brother or sister.
