A rising vintage sweetheart for girls and a fresh new possibility for boys, following the likes of Nova. The name first became fashionable in England following the Battle of Alma – named for the Russian river – during the Crimean War. It derives from anima, the Latin for "soul", and has the same meaning in modern Spanish, Portuguese and Italian.

Alma is a somewhat solemn, soulful name that had a burst of popularity a century ago, then faded into the flowered wallpaper, and is now finding its footing once more.