UK boy's name
Alvaro
A Spanish masculine name of Germanic origin meaning vigilant or alert.
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Alvaro is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Alvaro popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #2921, with 7 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2018, with 14 births.
This profile covers 198 England and Wales registrations across 26 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 50% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 197 living people in the UK are called Alvaro. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Alvaro ranked #2921 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 7 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2018, when 14 boys were registered as Alvaro.
- • About 197 living people in the UK are estimated to have Alvaro as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#2921
2024
Births in 2024
7
Latest year
Peak year
2018
14 births
Estimated living
197
2026
Meaning
What does Alvaro mean?
The name Alvaro has its roots in the ancient Germanic languages, derived from the elements "alf" meaning "elf" and "varin" meaning "true" or "honest." It was initially popularized during the Middle Ages in Spain and Portugal, where it developed into the Spanish form "Álvaro" and the Portuguese "Álvaro."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Alvaro can be found in the 7th century, when it was used by Alvaro of Córdoba, a renowned Christian scholar and theologian from the Iberian Peninsula. In the 9th century, the name gained further prominence with Álvaro Cordobés, a Christian martyr who was executed for his faith during the Muslim conquest of the region.
During the medieval period, the name Alvaro was closely associated with the noble and military classes in Spain and Portugal. Notable historical figures bearing this name include Álvaro de Luna (1388-1453), a powerful Spanish nobleman and royal counselor during the reign of King John II of Castile, and Álvaro Vaz de Almada (c. 1390-1449), a Portuguese explorer and navigator who played a significant role in the early phases of the Portuguese Age of Discovery.
As the Spanish and Portuguese empires expanded, the name Alvaro spread to various parts of the world, particularly Latin America and the Philippines. One of the most renowned individuals with this name was Álvaro de Navia Osorio y Vigil (1687-1752), a Spanish military officer and colonial administrator who served as the Governor-General of the Philippines from 1718 to 1719.
In more recent times, the name Alvaro has continued to be widely used, with several notable figures bearing this moniker. These include Álvaro Uribe (born 1952), a Colombian politician who served as the President of Colombia from 2002 to 2010, and Álvaro Siza Vieira (born 1933), a renowned Portuguese architect and recipient of the prestigious Pritzker Prize in 1992.
Overall, the name Alvaro has a rich historical legacy, with its roots dating back to the early medieval period in the Iberian Peninsula. Despite its ancient origins, it has remained a popular choice throughout the centuries, with numerous influential figures from various fields bearing this name across different parts of the world.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Alvaro over time
The chart below shows babies named Alvaro registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Alvaro, the clearest high point is 2018. The latest England and Wales figure is 7 births in 2024, compared with 14 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Alvaro by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Alvaro was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #2439 | 44 | 5 |
| 2010s | #2268 | 97 | 10 |
| 2000s | #2823 | 46 | 8 |
| 1990s | #2545 | 11 | 3 |
Related
Names similar to Alvaro
- Alfie 86,546
- Alexander 85,525
- Adam 71,855
- Archie 59,965
- Arthur 43,586
- Aaron 36,366
- Alex 32,729
- Andrew 20,169
- Arlo 19,061
- Aidan 16,776
- Albie 16,017
- Albert 15,809
FAQ
Alvaro: questions and answers
How popular is the name Alvaro in the UK right now?
In 2024, Alvaro was ranked #2921 for boys in England and Wales, with 7 births registered.
When was Alvaro most popular?
The peak year on record was 2018, with 14 babies registered as Alvaro in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Alvaro?
A Spanish masculine name of Germanic origin meaning vigilant or alert.
How many people are called Alvaro in the UK?
A total of 198 babies have been registered as Alvaro across the 26 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.