Girl's name
Alva
Say it AL-vuh
Used in Swedish 2 syllables
Where Alva is loved, common and rare
Common across six German cities, Sweden, Norway and one more place. Rare in Switzerland, Austria, Britain and two more places.
1 in 4,473 girls born in Scotland in 2025
Sweden 15thBerlin 61stMunich 80th
LovedCommonRare
Every place
In 15 of the 40 official lists, among them Sweden (15th), Berlin (61st) and Munich (80th).
Show all 15 placesShow less
| Place | Rank | Girls | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sweden | 15th 2025 | 415 | about 1 in 97 |
| Berlin city | 61st 2023 | 47 | about 1 in 309 |
| Munich city | 80th 2025 | 17 | about 1 in 247 |
| Norway | 84th 2025 | 74 | 1 in 295 |
| Cologne city | 97th 2023 | 13 | about 1 in 473 |
| Switzerland | 208th 2025 | 34 | 1 in 1,000 |
| Austria | 213th 2025 | 29 | 1 in 1,232 |
| Scotland | 632nd 2025 | 4 | 1 in 4,473 |
| Ireland | 885th 2025 | 3 | 1 in 7,042 |
| England and Wales | 1809th 2025 | 16 | 1 in 15,830 |
| France | 2317th 2025 | 10 | 1 in 28,679 |
| Rostock city | 12th 2025 | 8 | about 1 in 123 |
| Finland | 31st 2025 | 122 | rank only |
| Leipzig city | 66th 2025 | 8 | about 1 in 328 |
| Bonn city | 90th 2025 | 7 | about 1 in 431 |
Rare, below the listed names: Northern Ireland, Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia, New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Spain, Catalonia, Italy, Poland, Hungary, Slovenia and Israel.
Not in a short top list, so no figure: Nova Scotia (top 21), Denmark (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: Skatteverket (Swedish Tax Agency) (Sweden); BerlinOnline GmbH; Landesamt für Bürger- und Ordnungsangelegenheiten (LABO) / Standesämter (Berlin); Landeshauptstadt München, Statistisches Amt (opendata.muenchen.de) (Munich); Statistics Norway (SSB) (Norway); Stadt Köln, Standesamt (offenedaten-koeln.de) (Cologne); Bundesamt für Statistik (BFS) / Office fédéral de la statistique (OFS) (Switzerland); Statistik Austria (OGDEXT_VORNAMEN_1) (Austria); National Records of Scotland (Scotland); Central Statistics Office (CSO) (Ireland); Office for National Statistics (England and Wales); INSEE, Fichier des prénoms (édition 2025) (France); Hanse- und Universitätsstadt Rostock (opendata-hro.de) (Rostock); Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV) (Finland); Stadt Leipzig, Standesamt (opendata.leipzig.de) (Leipzig); Bundesstadt Bonn, Standesamt (opendata.bonn.de) (Bonn). How we count, and every source
About the name
Alva is used in Swedish, and it is described as a nineteenth-century feminine form of Alf, or a short form of names beginning with Alf-, such as Alfhild and Alfrida. No meaning is given, so it is best described by that Nordic history.
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Two syllables, said AL-vuh, with the stress on the first. Alwa and Elva are related spellings, and Alfa and Elfa are similar names.
Sweden is where it is most popular, as a top-20 name, and it is also used in Finland and Norway. In English-speaking countries it is rare, with small numbers in Scotland, Ireland, and England and Wales. It is rising in nine regions and falling in just one, and French records place its peak in 2023, so it is a current Nordic favourite.
Meaning, origin, pronunciation
- Pronounced
- AL-vuh, 2 syllables
- Used in
- Swedish
- Other spellings
- Alvard
- Alfa
- Elfa
- Elva
- Alwa
- Pixie
Etymology
A 19th century feminine form of Alf, or a short form of female compound names beginning with Alf-, such as Alfhild and Alfrida.
From the Wiktionary entry, CC BY-SA 4.0, shortened.
Over time
Over five years: rising in 9 of 11 regions, falling in 1.
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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 | 3214 | 1911 | 1711 | 2458 | 1939 | 1866 | 2058 | 2927 | 2115 | 1809 |
| Ireland | 750 | 734 | 474 | 621 | 628 | 661 | 905 | 727 | 504 | 885 |
| France | 3622 | 2516 | 3634 | 3605 | 1957 | 1957 | 1303 | 1841 | 2317 | |
| Austria | 468 | 433 | 286 | 280 | 272 | 235 | 240 | 239 | 250 | 213 |
| Switzerland | 471 | 427 | 427 | 333 | 333 | 267 | 275 | 231 | 280 | 208 |
| Berlin | 116 | 99 | 83 | 98 | 83 | 65 | 55 | 61 | ||
| Munich | 239 | 130 | 94 | 194 | 152 | 157 | 84 | 75 | 80 | |
| Cologne | 213 | 152 | 107 | 87 | 94 | 58 | 83 | 97 | ||
| Bonn | 314 | 222 | 85 | 90 | 168 | 68 | 139 | 136 | 141 | 90 |
| Leipzig | 108 | 102 | 110 | 85 | 116 | 58 | 37 | 33 | 20 | 66 |
| Rostock | 105 | 107 | 134 | 199 | 62 | 76 | 50 | 174 | 49 | 12 |
| Norway | 72 | 52 | 54 | 73 | 58 | 83 | 84 | 80 | 81 | 84 |
| Sweden | 15 | 15 | 19 | 13 | 18 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 17 | 15 |
| Denmark | 49 | 48 | ||||||||
| Finland | 34 | 31 |
England and Wales, 1997 to 2025
| Year | Rank | Girls | per 100,000 girls |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1809 | 16 | 6.3 |
| 2024 | 2115 | 13 | 5.0 |
| 2023 | 2927 | 8 | 3.1 |
| 2022 | 2058 | 13 | 4.9 |
| 2021 | 1866 | 15 | 5.5 |
| 2020 | 1939 | 14 | 5.2 |
| 2019 | 2458 | 10 | 3.6 |
| 2018 | 1711 | 17 | 5.9 |
| 2017 | 1911 | 15 | 5.0 |
| 2016 | 3214 | 7 | 2.3 |
| 2015 | 3615 | 6 | 1.9 |
| 2014 | 4684 | 4 | 1.3 |
| 2013 | 4050 | 5 | 1.6 |
| 2011 | 5785 | 3 | 0.9 |
| 2010 | 4012 | 5 | 1.6 |
| 2008 | 4524 | 4 | 1.3 |
| 2005 | 4798 | 3 | 1.0 |
| 2001 | 3998 | 3 | 1.1 |
| 1997 | 3174 | 4 | 1.4 |
Sources: Office for National Statistics (1996-2025), OGL v3.
France since 1925
Half of the babies named Alva in France since 1925 were born in or after 2021. First recorded in 1999. Her peak year there: 2023, at 8.3 per 100,000 girls.
Babies named Alva 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 Alva
1 in 6,332 in England and Wales
Rose and fell with Alva.
1 in 23,026 in England and Wales
Rose and fell with Alva.
1 in 3,567 in England and Wales
Rose and fell with Alva.
1 in 42,214 in England and Wales
Rose and fell with Alva.
1 in 31,660 in England and Wales
Rose and fell with Alva.
Similar forms, not dealt separately: Ellinor.
1 in 21,107 in England and Wales
Rose and fell with Alva.
1 in 662 in Northern Ireland
Rose and fell with Alva.
1 in 5,964 in Scotland
Rose and fell with Alva.
1 in 12,061 in England and Wales
Rose and fell with Alva.
1 in 50,656 in England and Wales
Rose and fell with Alva.
Middle names for Alva
1 in 57 in Northern Ireland
Alva Grace
2-1 beats · initials AG
Changes the beat after Alva: 2 syllables, then 1 syllable.
1 in 71 in Scotland
Alva Olivia
2-4 beats · initials AO · Alva slides into Olivia: vowel meets vowel.
Changes the beat after Alva: 2 syllables, then 4 syllables. Alva slides into Olivia: vowel meets vowel.
1 in 99 in Scotland
Alva Sophia
2-3 beats · initials AS
Changes the beat after Alva: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables.
1 in 311 in Ireland
Alva Maria
2-3 beats · initials AM
Changes the beat after Alva: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables.
1 in 214 in Northern Ireland
Alva Rose
2-1 beats · initials AR
Changes the beat after Alva: 2 syllables, then 1 syllable.
1 in 78 in Northern Ireland
Alva Emily
2-3 beats · initials AE · Alva slides into Emily: vowel meets vowel.
Changes the beat after Alva: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables. Alva slides into Emily: vowel meets vowel.
1 in 491 in Ireland
Alva Julia
2-3 beats · initials AJ
Changes the beat after Alva: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables.
1 in 1,286 in England and Wales
Alva Miriam
2-3 beats · initials AM
Changes the beat after Alva: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables.
Same style as Alva
Names whose popularity rose and fell with hers across regions and decades.
1 in 50,656 in England and Wales
83% alike: moves with Alva across countries and decades.
1 in 7,042 in Ireland
82% alike: moves with Alva across countries and decades.
1 in 3,567 in England and Wales
82% alike: moves with Alva across countries and decades.
1 in 84,427 in England and Wales
82% alike: moves with Alva across countries and decades.
1 in 50,656 in England and Wales
81% alike: moves with Alva across countries and decades.
1 in 74 in Norway
80% alike: moves with Alva across countries and decades.
1 in 31,660 in England and Wales
80% alike: moves with Alva across countries and decades.
1 in 16,885 in England and Wales
80% alike: moves with Alva across countries and decades.
Famous people named Alva
Alva Myrdal and Alva Belmont.
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Swedish sociologist and politician (1902-1986)
-
American suffragette and socialite (1853–1933)
People: Wikidata (CC0), linked to Wikipedia in this page's language when an article exists.
Questions about Alva
4 questions, on how popular she is, how to say it, whether she is rising and sister names.
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How popular is Alva?
Her best rank is No. 15 in Sweden in 2025, about 1 in 97 girls. She is in the published lists of 15 of our 40 regions.
How do you pronounce Alva?
AL-vuh, with 2 syllables.
Is Alva getting more popular?
Over five years: rising in 9 of 11 regions, falling in 1.
Which sister names go with Alva?
The deck's top five sisters for Alva: Elin, Tilda, Leonora, Milla and Elli. Each is scored on style, era, popularity and origin, with sound clashes flagged.