Alma
Girl name · #449 in 2025 · Uniqueness 44/100
Alma is currently the #449 girl name in the United States — 689 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #684, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 2,612 girls born in 2025 was named Alma.
Babies named Alma per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
The 145-year story
Alma first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 277 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1918, when 3,650 girls were named Alma — good for #73 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Alma against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Alma in class?
Alma scores 44 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "distinctive" band. That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Alma is most common
Geography matters for names, and Alma is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Almas were CA (99), FL (90), TX (80), NY (51), IL (25). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
Names like Alma
Statistically, parents drawn to Alma tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Rosa, Edith, Celia, Helen, and Lena.
RosaEdithCeliaHelenLenaLeonaCeceliaIrene
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Alma | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 689 | #449 |
| 2024 | 659 | #471 |
| 2023 | 666 | #461 |
| 2022 | 658 | #483 |
| 2021 | 613 | #507 |
| 2020 | 524 | #560 |
| 2019 | 491 | #615 |
| 2018 | 458 | #648 |
| 2017 | 455 | #651 |
| 2016 | 392 | #724 |
| 2015 | 417 | #684 |
| 2014 | 421 | #675 |
| 2013 | 402 | #701 |
| 2012 | 313 | #852 |
| 2011 | 298 | #875 |
| 2010 | 318 | #844 |
| 2009 | 349 | #810 |
| 2008 | 369 | #789 |
| 2007 | 415 | #701 |
| 2006 | 475 | #614 |
| 2005 | 481 | #591 |
| 2004 | 453 | #608 |
| 2003 | 421 | #635 |
| 2002 | 515 | #532 |
| 2001 | 527 | #512 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Alma a popular girl name?
Alma ranked #449 among girls in 2025 with 689 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #684.
When was the name Alma most popular?
Alma peaked in 1918, when 3,650 American girls received the name (ranked #73 that year). Since 1918 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Alma?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 2,612 newborn American girls was named Alma. It scores 44/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "distinctive".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.