Alma
Latin almus, “nourishing,” as in alma mater; also Spanish and Italian for “soul.”
Popularity, 1880–2025
Alma appears in the national records from the very first year, 1880. It has ranked among the top 100 names for American girls in every year from 1880 to 1927. Its biggest year was 1918, when 3,650 newborn girls received the name, ranking it No. 73 nationally. Its best ranking came in 1896, at No. 51. In 2025 it ranked No. 449 for girls. All told, 165,942 Americans have been given the name since 1880.
Related names
Other spellings on record: Aloma (847) (total births since 1880)
Explore Alma interactively →By the decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 5,190 | No. 58 |
| 1890s | 11,184 | No. 51 |
| 1900s | 13,092 | No. 52 |
| 1910s | 27,515 | No. 61 |
| 1920s | 30,434 | No. 78 |
| 1930s | 18,251 | No. 109 |
| 1940s | 12,401 | No. 152 |
| 1950s | 9,637 | No. 232 |
| 1960s | 6,382 | No. 334 |
| 1970s | 5,592 | No. 362 |
| 1980s | 5,688 | No. 340 |
| 1990s | 6,030 | No. 365 |
| 2000s | 4,553 | No. 491 |
| 2010s | 3,965 | No. 615 |
| 2020s | 3,809 | No. 449 |
Births and rank shown for girls, the sex more often given the name. The Social Security Administration omits name–year combinations with fewer than five births.
🍼 Enjoying this? Buy my baby a diaper
Data: U.S. Social Security Administration national baby-name file, 1880–2025.