Girl's name
Alba
Say it AL-buh
Spanish origin dawn
2 syllables
Where Alba is loved, common and rare
Loved in France. Common across Sweden, Spain, Switzerland and three more places. Rare in Norway, five German cities, Northern Ireland and five more places.
1 in 275 girls born in Scotland in 2025
France 5thSweden 12thCatalonia 40th
LovedCommonRare
Every place
In 20 of the 40 official lists, among them France (5th), Sweden (12th) and Catalonia (40th).
Show all 20 placesShow less
| Place | Rank | Girls | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| France | 5th 2025 | 2,360 | 1 in 122 |
| Sweden | 12th 2025 | 431 | about 1 in 93 |
| Spain | 25th 2024 | 1,073 | rank only |
| Catalonia region | 40th 2025 | 103 | 1 in 187 |
| Switzerland | 59th 2025 | 109 | 1 in 312 |
| Scotland | 62nd 2025 | 65 | 1 in 275 |
| England and Wales | 95th 2025 | 472 | 1 in 537 |
| Italy | 95th 2024 | 325 | 1 in 551 |
| Norway | 105th 2025 | 53 | 1 in 411 |
| Munich city | 111th 2025 | 11 | about 1 in 381 |
| Cologne city | 122nd 2023 | 10 | about 1 in 614 |
| Northern Ireland | 177th 2025 | 10 | 1 in 729 |
| Ireland | 213th 2025 | 20 | 1 in 1,056 |
| Austria | 235th 2025 | 25 | 1 in 1,429 |
| Berlin city | 241st 2023 | 13 | about 1 in 1,116 |
| The Netherlands | 392nd 2025 | 34 | about 1 in 1,795 |
| Quebec province | 412th 2025 | 12 | about 1 in 2,167 |
| Ontario province | 644th 2024 | 19 | about 1 in 2,867 |
| Leipzig city | 128th 2025 | 4 | about 1 in 656 |
| Bonn city | 173rd 2025 | 3 | about 1 in 1,005 |
Rare, below the listed names: British Columbia, New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, New Zealand, Rostock, Poland, Hungary, Slovenia and Israel.
Not in a short top list, so no figure: Nova Scotia (top 21), Denmark (top 50), Finland (top 50), Iceland (top 10), Estonia (top 25), Moscow (top 61), Turkey (top 30), Argentina (top 20) and Croatia (top 50).
Germany publishes no national statistics on first names. German figures here are city lists (Berlin, Munich, Cologne, Bonn, Leipzig, Rostock), never the country.
Sources: INSEE, Fichier des prénoms (édition 2025) (France); Skatteverket (Swedish Tax Agency) (Sweden); INE (Instituto Nacional de Estadística) (Spain); Idescat (Institut d'Estadística de Catalunya) (Catalonia); Bundesamt für Statistik (BFS) / Office fédéral de la statistique (OFS) (Switzerland); National Records of Scotland (Scotland); Office for National Statistics (England and Wales); ISTAT, Contanomi (Italy); Statistics Norway (SSB) (Norway); Landeshauptstadt München, Statistisches Amt (opendata.muenchen.de) (Munich); Stadt Köln, Standesamt (offenedaten-koeln.de) (Cologne); NISRA (Northern Ireland); Central Statistics Office (CSO) (Ireland); Statistik Austria (OGDEXT_VORNAMEN_1) (Austria); BerlinOnline GmbH; Landesamt für Bürger- und Ordnungsangelegenheiten (LABO) / Standesämter (Berlin); Sociale Verzekeringsbank (SVB) (the Netherlands); Retraite Québec (Banque de prénoms, Données Québec) (Quebec); Ontario Office of the Registrar General (Ontario Data Catalogue) (Ontario); Stadt Leipzig, Standesamt (opendata.leipzig.de) (Leipzig); Bundesstadt Bonn, Standesamt (opendata.bonn.de) (Bonn). How we count, and every source
About the name
Spanish Alba means 'dawn', and the name is taken directly from it. Its origin is given as Spanish.
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Two syllables, AL-buh, give it a short, strong sound. Albina and Albana are longer relatives, and Elba is a variant.
Alba is a top-five name in France and ranks high in Sweden and Spain, and in the English-speaking world it is used in Scotland, England and Wales, and Northern Ireland. The French records place its peak in 2023, and it is rising in 14 places while falling in only two. It is one of the names that has spread quickly across Europe in recent years.
Meaning, origin, pronunciation
- Pronounced
- AL-buh, 2 syllables
- Meaning
dawn
- Origin
- Spanish
- Other spellings
- Albina
- Elba
- Albana
Over time
Over five years: rising in 14 of 20 regions, falling in 2.
Show the yearsShow less
Rank in each place since 1996; higher on the chart is more popular.
Ten years of ranks
Her rank each year, English-speaking regions first. A blank means no published rank for her that year.
| Region | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| England and Wales | 246 | 198 | 196 | 175 | 173 | 145 | 143 | 129 | 119 | 95 |
| Scotland | 112 | 113 | 104 | 107 | 86 | 93 | 87 | 74 | 66 | 62 |
| Northern Ireland | 440 | 355 | 263 | 397 | 350 | 354 | 302 | 227 | 177 | |
| Ireland | 419 | 301 | 512 | 362 | 375 | 661 | 284 | 625 | 441 | 213 |
| Ontario | 1202 | 1354 | 1347 | 1240 | 1146 | 782 | 1437 | 644 | ||
| Quebec | 927 | 813 | 915 | 534 | 387 | 630 | 355 | 412 | ||
| France | 378 | 383 | 275 | 185 | 54 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| The Netherlands | 928 | 802 | 765 | 461 | 468 | 469 | 391 | 313 | 392 | |
| Austria | 444 | 370 | 454 | 441 | 272 | 254 | 366 | 259 | 200 | 235 |
| Switzerland | 231 | 301 | 329 | 183 | 101 | 92 | 64 | 58 | 53 | 59 |
| Berlin | 542 | 1007 | 298 | 782 | 213 | 231 | 241 | |||
| Munich | 185 | 232 | 238 | 162 | 102 | 115 | 135 | 84 | 84 | 111 |
| Cologne | 276 | 433 | 349 | 154 | 216 | 170 | 252 | 122 | ||
| Bonn | 314 | 222 | 359 | 371 | 168 | 186 | 239 | 236 | 362 | 173 |
| Leipzig | 375 | 193 | 148 | 186 | 116 | 201 | 186 | 163 | 222 | 128 |
| Rostock | 199 | 202 | 187 | |||||||
| Norway | 240 | 176 | 208 | 205 | 151 | 120 | 113 | 119 | 111 | 105 |
| Sweden | 158 | 166 | 189 | 102 | 106 | 40 | 26 | 19 | 14 | 12 |
| Denmark | 39 | 41 | 41 | 46 | ||||||
| Iceland | 83 | 83 | ||||||||
| Spain | 8 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 18 | 19 | 22 | 25 | |
| Catalonia | 16 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 33 | 32 | 37 | 37 | 49 | 40 |
| Italy | 219 | 236 | 192 | 180 | 155 | 140 | 124 | 105 | 95 | |
| Poland | 463 | 567 | 603 | 616 |
England and Wales, 1996 to 2025
| Year | Rank | Girls | per 100,000 girls |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 95 | 472 | 186.4 |
| 2024 | 119 | 413 | 160.1 |
| 2023 | 129 | 387 | 150.8 |
| 2022 | 143 | 347 | 131.7 |
| 2021 | 145 | 352 | 128.4 |
| 2020 | 173 | 291 | 108.4 |
| 2019 | 175 | 284 | 101.4 |
| 2018 | 196 | 269 | 93.3 |
| 2017 | 198 | 263 | 87.9 |
| 2016 | 246 | 205 | 66.7 |
| 2015 | 273 | 178 | 57.8 |
| 2014 | 312 | 148 | 48.3 |
| 2013 | 378 | 118 | 38.3 |
| 2012 | 483 | 91 | 28.3 |
| 2011 | 665 | 59 | 18.4 |
| 2010 | 773 | 47 | 14.6 |
| 2009 | 1083 | 29 | 9.3 |
| 2008 | 1135 | 26 | 8.2 |
| 2007 | 1102 | 26 | 8.5 |
| 2006 | 1748 | 13 | 4.3 |
| 2005 | 1500 | 15 | 5.2 |
| 2004 | 1836 | 11 | 3.8 |
| 2003 | 1996 | 9 | 3.2 |
| 2002 | 1928 | 9 | 3.4 |
| 2001 | 2466 | 6 | 2.2 |
| 2000 | 2167 | 7 | 2.6 |
| 1999 | 3225 | 4 | 1.4 |
| 1998 | 1480 | 12 | 4.1 |
| 1997 | 2411 | 6 | 2.0 |
| 1996 | 2683 | 5 | 1.7 |
Sources: Office for National Statistics (1996-2025), OGL v3.
France since 1925
Half of the babies named Alba in France since 1925 were born in or after 2022. First recorded in 1925. Her peak year there: 2023, at 1,023.8 per 100,000 girls.
Babies named Alba per 100,000 girls born in France, by five-year period. Her 2023 peak is averaged into its five-year period, so the line sits below it.
Sources: INSEE, Fichier des prénoms (édition 2025) (1900-2025), Licence Ouverte / Etalab 2.0.
Sister names for Alba
1 in 1,278 in Scotland
Rose and fell with Alba.
1 in 636 in England and Wales
Rose and fell with Alba. Same first letter as Alba.
1 in 471 in Scotland
Rose and fell with Alba.
1 in 852 in Scotland
Rose and fell with Alba. Same first letter as Alba.
1 in 334 in England and Wales
Rose and fell with Alba.
1 in 298 in Scotland
Rose and fell with Alba.
1 in 2,347 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Alba.
1 in 1,112 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Alba. Same first letter as Alba.
1 in 1,627 in Scotland
Rose and fell with Alba.
1 in 581 in England and Wales
Rose and fell with Alba. Same first letter as Alba.
Middle names for Alba
1 in 57 in Northern Ireland
Alba Grace
2-1 beats · initials AG
Changes the beat after Alba: 2 syllables, then 1 syllable.
1 in 71 in Scotland
Alba Olivia
2-4 beats · initials AO · Alba slides into Olivia: vowel meets vowel.
Changes the beat after Alba: 2 syllables, then 4 syllables. Alba slides into Olivia: vowel meets vowel.
1 in 99 in Scotland
Alba Sophia
2-3 beats · initials AS
Changes the beat after Alba: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables.
1 in 311 in Ireland
Alba Maria
2-3 beats · initials AM
Changes the beat after Alba: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables.
1 in 214 in Northern Ireland
Alba Rose
2-1 beats · initials AR
Changes the beat after Alba: 2 syllables, then 1 syllable.
1 in 78 in Northern Ireland
Alba Emily
2-3 beats · initials AE · Alba slides into Emily: vowel meets vowel.
Changes the beat after Alba: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables. Alba slides into Emily: vowel meets vowel.
1 in 491 in Ireland
Alba Julia
2-3 beats · initials AJ
Changes the beat after Alba: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables.
1 in 1,286 in England and Wales
Alba Miriam
2-3 beats · initials AM
Changes the beat after Alba: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables.
Same style as Alba
Names whose popularity rose and fell with hers across regions and decades.
1 in 587 in Ireland
88% alike: moves with Alba across countries and decades.
1 in 2,508 in England and Wales
87% alike: moves with Alba across countries and decades.
1 in 251 in Northern Ireland
87% alike: moves with Alba across countries and decades.
1 in 852 in Scotland
86% alike: moves with Alba across countries and decades.
1 in 1,195 in England and Wales
86% alike: moves with Alba across countries and decades.
1 in 334 in England and Wales
86% alike: moves with Alba across countries and decades.
1 in 3,166 in England and Wales
86% alike: moves with Alba across countries and decades.
1 in 1,849 in England and Wales
86% alike: moves with Alba across countries and decades.
Famous people named Alba
Alba Flores, Alba Rohrwacher, Alba Baptista, Alba August, Alba de Céspedes, Alba Torrens, Alba Ribas and Alba Redondo.
Show all 8Show less
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Spanish actress born 1986
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Italian actress born 1979
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Portuguese actress born 1997
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Swedish actress, born 1993
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Cuban-Italian writer and poet 1911 to 1997
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Spanish basketball player (born 1989)
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Spanish film actress born 1988
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Spanish footballer born 1996
People: Wikidata (CC0), linked to Wikipedia in this page's language when an article exists.
Questions about Alba
5 questions, on how popular she is, what it means, how to say it, whether she is rising and sister names.
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How popular is Alba?
Her best rank is No. 5 in France in 2025, about 1 in 122 girls. She is in the published lists of 20 of our 40 regions.
What does Alba mean?
Wiktionary glosses Alba as "dawn".
How do you pronounce Alba?
AL-buh, with 2 syllables.
Is Alba getting more popular?
Over five years: rising in 14 of 20 regions, falling in 2.
Which sister names go with Alba?
The deck's top five sisters for Alba: Valentina, Amaya, Elena, Arya and Iris. Each is scored on style, era, popularity and origin, with sound clashes flagged.