Declining since 2016, #3,712 for girls today.
Popularity of Aly since 1951
Babies named Aly per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls | Boys |
|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 0 | 11 |
| 1960s | 0 | 5 |
| 1970s | 11 | 18 |
| 1980s | 39 | 52 |
| 1990s | 123 | 130 |
| 2000s | 413 | 205 |
| 2010s | 622 | 188 |
| 2020s | 275 | 105 |
Meaning & origin
Aly first appeared on U.S. birth records in 1977, and by 2025 it had reached a rank of 3,712, with roughly 1 in 40,182 newborns receiving the name. Its peak year came in 2016, after which its frequency has been declining. The name has seen the most use in Texas and California. As a short, flexible form of longer names like Alison or Alexander, Aly straddles tradition and modernity. Its unisex appeal fits a naming trend toward concise, vowel-ending names, yet it remains far less common than variants like Allie or Ally.
Aly is often considered a short form or variant of Alison, itself a medieval diminutive of Alice, from Old French Alis, ultimately from Germanic Adalheidis meaning 'noble type.' Alternatively, Aly may be a variant of the Arabic name Ali, meaning 'exalted.' In modern English usage, Aly gained popularity as a unisex name, especially in the late 20th century.
Where Aly is most popular
Births per 100,000 girls by state, 2025. The lightest shade means too few recorded births.
“Aly” around the world
Where Aly lands in the latest official birth statistics abroad, matched to the U.S. spelling.
France
70
babies in 2024
Quebec
11
babies in 2025
Sources: INSEE (France) · Retraite Québec (Quebec).
Nicknames & variants
Sibling names for Aly
Names that share Aly's style, for a brother or sister.
