Girl's name
Alma
Say it AL-muh
Latin origin nourishing, kind
2 syllables
Where Alma is loved, common and rare
Loved in France, Sweden, Norway and two more places. Common across Spain, five German cities, Israel and five more places. Rare in Slovenia, Canada, Britain and three more places.
1 in 1,112 girls born in Ireland in 2025
France 4thSweden 6thNorway 8th
LovedCommonRare
Every place
In 27 of the 40 official lists, among them France (4th), Sweden (6th) and Norway (8th).
Show all 27 placesShow less
| Place | Rank | Girls | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| France | 4th 2025 | 2,500 | 1 in 115 |
| Sweden | 6th 2025 | 513 | about 1 in 78 |
| Norway | 8th 2025 | 297 | 1 in 73 |
| Spain | 13th 2024 | 1,431 | rank only |
| Israel עלמה | 18th 2024 | 1,272 | about 1 in 62 |
| Berlin city | 22nd 2023 | 86 | about 1 in 169 |
| Switzerland | 24th 2025 | 166 | 1 in 205 |
| Catalonia region | 29th 2025 | 137 | 1 in 141 |
| Munich city | 32nd 2025 | 35 | about 1 in 120 |
| Cologne city | 65th 2023 | 19 | about 1 in 323 |
| Austria | 82nd 2025 | 95 | 1 in 376 |
| Italy | 86th 2024 | 364 | 1 in 492 |
| Slovenia | 180th 2025 | 7 | about 1 in 944 |
| Quebec province | 208th 2025 | 28 | about 1 in 929 |
| England and Wales | 211th 2025 | 222 | 1 in 1,141 |
| Ireland | 226th 2025 | 19 | 1 in 1,112 |
| Scotland | 256th 2025 | 14 | 1 in 1,278 |
| Poland | 308th 2025 | 14 | 1 in 8,556 |
| The Netherlands | 330th 2025 | 42 | about 1 in 1,453 |
| British Columbia province | 400th 2023 | 8 | about 1 in 1,495 |
| Ontario province | 506th 2024 | 25 | about 1 in 2,179 |
| Denmark | 1st 2025 | 499 | rank only |
| Leipzig city | 10th 2025 | 19 | about 1 in 138 |
| Argentina | 14th 2024 | 3,455 | rank only |
| Rostock city | 16th 2025 | 7 | about 1 in 141 |
| Finland | 22nd 2025 | 145 | rank only |
| Bonn city | 43rd 2025 | 12 | about 1 in 251 |
Rare, below the listed names: Northern Ireland, New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, New Zealand and Hungary.
Not in a short top list, so no figure: Nova Scotia (top 21), Iceland (top 10), Estonia (top 25), Moscow (top 61), Turkey (top 30) 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.
Israel publishes names in Hebrew script. The Latin spelling shown is our transliteration; the published form is shown beside it.
Sources: INSEE, Fichier des prénoms (édition 2025) (France); Skatteverket (Swedish Tax Agency) (Sweden); Statistics Norway (SSB) (Norway); INE (Instituto Nacional de Estadística) (Spain); Central Bureau of Statistics (Israel) (Israel); BerlinOnline GmbH; Landesamt für Bürger- und Ordnungsangelegenheiten (LABO) / Standesämter (Berlin); Bundesamt für Statistik (BFS) / Office fédéral de la statistique (OFS) (Switzerland); Idescat (Institut d'Estadística de Catalunya) (Catalonia); Landeshauptstadt München, Statistisches Amt (opendata.muenchen.de) (Munich); Stadt Köln, Standesamt (offenedaten-koeln.de) (Cologne); Statistik Austria (OGDEXT_VORNAMEN_1) (Austria); ISTAT, Contanomi (Italy); Statistični urad Republike Slovenije (SURS), SiStat (Slovenia); Retraite Québec (Banque de prénoms, Données Québec) (Quebec); Office for National Statistics (England and Wales); Central Statistics Office (CSO) (Ireland); National Records of Scotland (Scotland); Ministerstwo Cyfryzacji, rejestr PESEL (dane.gov.pl) (Poland); Sociale Verzekeringsbank (SVB) (the Netherlands); BC Vital Statistics Agency (BC Data Catalogue) (British Columbia); Ontario Office of the Registrar General (Ontario Data Catalogue) (Ontario); Statistics Denmark (DST) (Denmark); Stadt Leipzig, Standesamt (opendata.leipzig.de) (Leipzig); RENAPER, Dirección Nacional de Población (datos.gob.ar) (Argentina); Hanse- und Universitätsstadt Rostock (opendata-hro.de) (Rostock); Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV) (Finland); Bundesstadt Bonn, Standesamt (opendata.bonn.de) (Bonn). How we count, and every source
About the name
Latin alma, 'nourishing, kind', is the usual explanation for Alma. It has also been used as a short form of Germanic names beginning with Amal-, the same element found in Amelia.
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Two syllables, AL-muh, give it a calm, grounded sound that works easily across languages. Elma, Ilma and Valma are listed among its variants.
Alma is having a remarkable run in Scandinavia and France: it is the top girls' name in Denmark and among the leading names in France and Sweden. In the English-speaking world it is much less common. It is rising in 14 places and falling in only two, and the French records put its peak in 2025, so it is still climbing.
Meaning, origin, pronunciation
- Pronounced
- AL-muh, 2 syllables
- Meaning
nourishing, kind
- Origin
- Latin
- Other spellings
- Elma
- Ilma
- Almas
- Falma
- Almar
- Valma
- Almàs
Etymology
Usually explained as Latin alma (“nourishing, kind”). It has also been used as a short form of Germanic compound names beginning with the element Amal-, as in Amelia.
From the Wiktionary entry, CC BY-SA 4.0, shortened.
Over time
Over five years: rising in 14 of 25 regions, falling in 2.
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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 | 529 | 413 | 362 | 345 | 304 | 267 | 279 | 228 | 234 | 211 |
| Scotland | 502 | 666 | 680 | 560 | 370 | 442 | 470 | 365 | 315 | 256 |
| Ireland | 515 | 579 | 512 | 502 | 410 | 270 | 389 | 625 | 213 | 226 |
| Ontario | 598 | 450 | 543 | 529 | 700 | 760 | 339 | 322 | 506 | |
| British Columbia | 415 | 520 | 409 | 441 | 352 | 286 | 400 | |||
| Quebec | 402 | 651 | 514 | 503 | 465 | 534 | 246 | 137 | 228 | 208 |
| France | 262 | 200 | 153 | 111 | 79 | 55 | 16 | 7 | 6 | 4 |
| The Netherlands | 443 | 373 | 494 | 591 | 410 | 363 | 320 | 440 | 330 | |
| Austria | 98 | 106 | 79 | 99 | 73 | 74 | 78 | 73 | 84 | 82 |
| Switzerland | 144 | 117 | 89 | 76 | 84 | 62 | 50 | 38 | 47 | 24 |
| Berlin | 54 | 48 | 27 | 39 | 27 | 16 | 12 | 22 | ||
| Munich | 61 | 70 | 82 | 58 | 40 | 53 | 46 | 36 | 43 | 32 |
| Cologne | 166 | 152 | 107 | 80 | 80 | 73 | 43 | 65 | ||
| Bonn | 119 | 111 | 85 | 59 | 117 | 32 | 63 | 36 | 84 | 43 |
| Leipzig | 51 | 35 | 22 | 21 | 16 | 11 | 5 | 12 | 11 | 10 |
| Rostock | 92 | 42 | 52 | 16 | 11 | 35 | 63 | 21 | 10 | 16 |
| Norway | 22 | 12 | 17 | 11 | 15 | 9 | 9 | 5 | 8 | 8 |
| Sweden | 10 | 9 | 4 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 6 |
| Denmark | 2 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 1 |
| Finland | 23 | 28 | 23 | 25 | 22 | |||||
| Iceland | 150 | 104 | ||||||||
| Spain | 25 | 17 | 17 | 15 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 13 | |
| Catalonia | 30 | 28 | 31 | 25 | 24 | 25 | 27 | 26 | 33 | 29 |
| Italy | 225 | 236 | 194 | 165 | 142 | 128 | 102 | 89 | 86 | |
| Poland | 377 | 567 | 419 | 445 | 422 | 516 | 457 | 475 | 308 | |
| Slovenia | 221 | 180 | ||||||||
| Israel | 27 | 32 | 27 | 25 | 27 | 24 | 23 | 24 | 18 | |
| Argentina | 8 | 8 | 9 | 13 | 15 | 11 | 12 | 15 | 14 |
England and Wales, 1996 to 2025
| Year | Rank | Girls | per 100,000 girls |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 211 | 222 | 87.6 |
| 2024 | 234 | 205 | 79.5 |
| 2023 | 228 | 205 | 79.9 |
| 2022 | 279 | 164 | 62.2 |
| 2021 | 267 | 177 | 64.6 |
| 2020 | 304 | 153 | 57.0 |
| 2019 | 345 | 129 | 46.1 |
| 2018 | 362 | 127 | 44.1 |
| 2017 | 413 | 106 | 35.4 |
| 2016 | 529 | 80 | 26.0 |
| 2015 | 609 | 68 | 22.1 |
| 2014 | 629 | 64 | 20.9 |
| 2013 | 684 | 58 | 18.8 |
| 2012 | 749 | 53 | 16.5 |
| 2011 | 702 | 55 | 17.1 |
| 2010 | 1040 | 32 | 10.0 |
| 2009 | 1105 | 28 | 8.9 |
| 2008 | 1247 | 23 | 7.3 |
| 2007 | 1196 | 23 | 7.5 |
| 2006 | 1087 | 25 | 8.4 |
| 2005 | 1500 | 15 | 5.2 |
| 2004 | 1535 | 14 | 4.9 |
| 2003 | 2727 | 6 | 2.2 |
| 2002 | 2105 | 8 | 3.0 |
| 2001 | 1728 | 10 | 3.7 |
| 2000 | 2416 | 6 | 2.2 |
| 1999 | 3225 | 4 | 1.4 |
| 1998 | 2165 | 7 | 2.4 |
| 1997 | 2411 | 6 | 2.0 |
| 1996 | 2096 | 7 | 2.4 |
Sources: Office for National Statistics (1996-2025), OGL v3.
France since 1925
Half of the babies named Alma in France since 1925 were born in or after 2023. First recorded in 1925. Her peak year there: 2025, at 871.7 per 100,000 girls.
Babies named Alma per 100,000 girls born in France, by five-year period.
Sources: INSEE, Fichier des prénoms (édition 2025) (1900-2025), Licence Ouverte / Etalab 2.0.
Sister names for Alma
1 in 1,278 in Scotland
Rose and fell with Alma.
1 in 330 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Alma.
1 in 1,266 in England and Wales
Rose and fell with Alma.
1 in 571 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Alma.
1 in 729 in Northern Ireland
Rose and fell with Alma.
1 in 491 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Alma.
1 in 166 in Northern Ireland
Rose and fell with Alma.
1 in 275 in Scotland
Rose and fell with Alma. Same first letter as Alma.
1 in 754 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Alma.
1 in 334 in England and Wales
Rose and fell with Alma.
Middle names for Alma
1 in 57 in Northern Ireland
Alma Grace
2-1 beats · initials AG
Changes the beat after Alma: 2 syllables, then 1 syllable.
1 in 71 in Scotland
Alma Olivia
2-4 beats · initials AO · Alma slides into Olivia: vowel meets vowel.
Changes the beat after Alma: 2 syllables, then 4 syllables. Alma slides into Olivia: vowel meets vowel.
1 in 99 in Scotland
Alma Sophia
2-3 beats · initials AS
Changes the beat after Alma: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables.
1 in 311 in Ireland
Alma Maria
2-3 beats · initials AM
Changes the beat after Alma: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables.
1 in 214 in Northern Ireland
Alma Rose
2-1 beats · initials AR
Changes the beat after Alma: 2 syllables, then 1 syllable.
1 in 78 in Northern Ireland
Alma Emily
2-3 beats · initials AE · Alma slides into Emily: vowel meets vowel.
Changes the beat after Alma: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables. Alma slides into Emily: vowel meets vowel.
1 in 491 in Ireland
Alma Julia
2-3 beats · initials AJ
Changes the beat after Alma: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables.
1 in 1,286 in England and Wales
Alma Miriam
2-3 beats · initials AM
Changes the beat after Alma: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables.
Same style as Alma
Names whose popularity rose and fell with hers across regions and decades.
1 in 1,195 in England and Wales
88% alike: moves with Alma across countries and decades.
1 in 4,225 in Ireland
87% alike: moves with Alma across countries and decades.
1 in 334 in England and Wales
87% alike: moves with Alma across countries and decades.
1 in 2,429 in Northern Ireland
86% alike: moves with Alma across countries and decades.
1 in 4,690 in England and Wales
86% alike: moves with Alma across countries and decades.
1 in 3,166 in England and Wales
86% alike: moves with Alma across countries and decades.
1 in 1,286 in England and Wales
86% alike: moves with Alma across countries and decades.
1 in 1,266 in England and Wales
86% alike: moves with Alma across countries and decades.
Famous people named Alma
Alma Mahler, Alma Deutscher, Alma Reville, Alma Karlin, Alma Zadić, Alma, Alma Cogan and Alma Rubens.
Show all 8Show less
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Austrian composer, art collector, author, editor, and socialite (1879-1964)
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British composer, pianist and violinist born 2005
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English film editor and screenwriter (1899–1982)
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Slovenian academic and poet (1889–1950)
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Austrian lawyer and politician born 1984
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Finnish singer-songwriter born 1996
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British pop singer (1932–1966)
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American actress (1897-1931)
People: Wikidata (CC0), linked to Wikipedia in this page's language when an article exists.
Questions about Alma
5 questions, on how popular she is, what it means, how to say it, whether she is rising and sister names.
Show all 5 questionsShow less
How popular is Alma?
Her best rank is No. 1 in Denmark in 2025. She is in the published lists of 27 of our 40 regions.
What does Alma mean?
Wiktionary glosses Alma as "nourishing, kind".
How do you pronounce Alma?
AL-muh, with 2 syllables.
Is Alma getting more popular?
Over five years: rising in 14 of 25 regions, falling in 2.
Which sister names go with Alma?
The deck's top five sisters for Alma: Valentina, Luna, Lina, Sara and Victoria. Each is scored on style, era, popularity and origin, with sound clashes flagged.