Algy is believed to have originated as a pet form of Algernon, a Norman-French name derived from the Germanic elements 'alger', meaning 'elf', and 'mann', translating to 'warrior'. It gained popularity in England during the 19th century but has since become less common.
"Algy experienced a notable gap of 16 years between two periods of popularity, with five babies named Algy born each year in 1927 and again in 1943, making for a total of ten Algy's over those two decades."