Alec is a Scottish short form of Alexander, from the Greek Alexandros, meaning "defender of men" or "protector of the people". It has a clipped, confident sound and is known in America through the actor Alec Baldwin and the novelist Alec Waugh. Alec was a top 200 name around 2000, when it stood at number 156, and has drifted down since to number 977 among boys' names in 2025.