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Alaric

♂ Boy

Pronounced AL-uh-rik /ˈæl.ə.rɪk/High

Meaning: All-powerful ruler; noble ruler; from Germanic Alarich (ala: all + ric: ruler, power)High

In 30 seconds: A Germanic name meaning 'all-powerful ruler,' from ala (all) and ric (ruler). Borne by Alaric I — the Visigoth king who sacked Rome in 410 CE — and by the vampire character Alaric Saltzman in The Vampire Diaries.
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Origin HighGermanic
MeaningAll-powerful ruler; noble ruler; from Germanic Alarich (ala: all + ric: ruler, power)
U.S. rank (2024)#1109 ↘ Falling
2024 U.S. births192 boys (0.01% of U.S. boys)
Peak year2020
Total births (all-time)≈ 3,754

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 202019492024

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

History & Origin

Alaric is from Visigothic Germanic Alarich (all + ruler). Alaric I (c.370–410 CE) was the Visigoth king who famously sacked Rome in 410, ending centuries of Roman invincibility. As a given name it carries historical weight and contemporary fantasy resonance.

Alaric entered U.S. boys' charts partly through The Vampire Diaries character. It ranked #1109 for boys in 2024.

Did you know? Alaric I's sack of Rome in 410 CE was the first time Rome had fallen to a foreign enemy in 800 years — Saint Jerome wrote that the entire world had been shaken by the news, and Augustine used the event as the occasion to write The City of God.
Overall data confidence 92%
Behind the Name — Alaric — Germanic/Visigothic etymologyU.S. Social Security Administration — popularity data

Variations

AlarickAlric

Nicknames

AlRicAlik

Famous Bearers

  • ★Alaric I (370–410)
    King of the Visigoths who sacked Rome in 410 CE. The event shocked the Roman world and is often linked to Augustine's writing of The City of God.

If you like Alaric…

Aldric— Germanic -ric ending name with the same all-ruler quality
Alric— a shorter form of the same Alaric root
Cedric— Celtic/literary -ric ending name in the same historical fiction space
Rodric— Ro + -ric Germanic name in the same Visigothic tradition
Edric— Old English -ric name with the same ruler-suffix quality

Frequently Asked

What does the name Alaric mean?

Alaric means 'all-powerful ruler,' from Germanic Alarich (ala: all + ric: ruler).

How do you pronounce Alaric?

It's said AL-uh-rik — three syllables, stress on the first.

Is Alaric a boy or girl name?

Alaric is used as a boys' name.

How popular is Alaric?

Alaric ranked #1109 for U.S. boys in 2024.