Alma
English use followed the 1854 battle at the Alma river in Crimea. The form also matches Latin almus, nourishing, and the Spanish and Italian word for soul.
Alma in 2025
Alma was given to 696 babies in the United States in 2025, making it the 909th most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 4,763 babies born.
The history of Alma
Alma reached its highest point in 1918, when 3,702 babies were given the name, ranking 126th that year. Its best-ever ranking was 69th, in 1896.
Across the 146 years of records since 1880, 165,942 babies have been named Alma. Half of them were born before 1927, which places the name's centre of gravity with the Greatest Generation.
Alma by decade
| Decade | Babies named Alma | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 5,287 | 79 |
| 1890s | 11,295 | 69 |
| 1900s | 13,204 | 69 |
| 1910s | 27,859 | 82 |
| 1920s | 30,759 | 133 |
| 1930s | 18,531 | 193 |
| 1940s | 12,551 | 286 |
| 1950s | 9,757 | 428 |
| 1960s | 6,481 | 602 |
| 1970s | 5,728 | 650 |
| 1980s | 5,850 | 629 |
| 1990s | 6,158 | 706 |
| 2000s | 4,622 | 921 |
| 2010s | 4,018 | 1,176 |
| 2020s | 3,842 | 909 |
Where Alma is heading
Alma has risen 63% over the past decade, from 426 babies in 2015 to 696 in 2025.
Names like Alma
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Alma.