Alma
2025 SSA
2025 SSA
About Alma
Alma is a solemn, soulful, yet gentle sounding name that became fashionable in England following the Battle of Alma during the 19th century Crimean War. A name with multiple origins, Alma has subtle, international flair and plenty of vintage charm.
Alma for girls#449 US
From its Latin roots, Alma is linked to anima meaning "soul", and has the same meaning in modern Spanish, Portuguese and Italian. In Hebrew, it means "young woman", while in Kazakh, it means "apple". It also appears in the Book of Mormon as a masculine name.
In addition to being familiar via the term alma mater, Alma has many cultural ties, such as Alma Mahler, a 19th Century composer and musician and the character Alma Del Mar played by Michelle Williams in the 2005 film Brokeback Mountain. Other characters named Alma have appeared in Deadwood, The Hunger Games, American Horror Story, and The History of Love by Nicole Krauss. In the Tennessee Williams play Summer and Smoke, a character named Alma explains that her name is "Spanish for soul."
Given to 650 girls in the US in a recent year, Alma is a favorite in Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Norway, Uruguay, France, Denmark, and Argentina, where recent counts have seen it rank in the Top 20. It is also popular in England and Wales, Chile, Finland, and Israel.
In tune with the likes of Anna, Emma, and Ella, along with Ada and Alba, we can see Alma also rising again in the US.
Alma for boys#9766 US
A rising vintage sweetheart for girls and a fresh new possibility for boys, following the likes of Nova. As a feminine name, it first became fashionable in England following the Battle of Alma – named for the Russian river – during the Crimean War. As a masculine name, it has been predominantly used among Mormons, owing to its appearance in the Book of Mormon. A name with a variety of different roots, it is usually linked to anima, the Latin for "soul", and has the same meaning in modern Spanish, Portuguese and Italian, however, it may also mean "young woman" in Hebrew and "apple" in Kazakh.
Its meaning in Mormonism isn't known for certain, but it appears in the Book of Mormon twice on a father and son, who are shown to be corrupt and rebellious before they then repent.
Featured as a masculine name in the novel A Song for Issy Bradley by Carys Bray, Alma was chosen for 10 boys in the US in a recent year, compared to 650 girls.
Pronounced AHL-muh.
As of October 2026, Alma ranked #449 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #51 in 1897, Nameberry popularity #168.
Popularity & trends
Data table
| Year | US rank · girls | Births · girls | US rank · boys | Births · boys |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | #677 | 420 | — | 0 |
| 2015 | #684 | 417 | — | 0 |
| 2016 | #724 | 392 | — | 0 |
| 2017 | #651 | 455 | — | 0 |
| 2018 | #648 | 458 | — | 0 |
| 2019 | #615 | 491 | — | 0 |
| 2020 | #564 | 521 | — | 0 |
| 2021 | #508 | 611 | — | 0 |
| 2022 | #483 | 657 | — | 0 |
| 2023 | #461 | 666 | — | 0 |
| 2024 | #472 | 653 | — | 0 |
| 2025 | #449 | 689 | — | 0 |
World rankings
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Alma on lists
Famous Almas
- Alma ThomasGirl
American painter
- Alma Leonore BeltranGirl
Mexican actress
- Alma Angela CoganGirl
English pop singer
- Alma GuillermoprietoGirl
Mexican journalist
- Alma RedlingerGirl
Romanian painter & illustrator
- Alma Lucy RevilleGirl
Lady Hitchcock, English director and screenwriter; wife of director Alfred Hitchcock
- Alma Genevieve RubensGirl
American silent film actress
- Alma Maria MahlerGirl
Austrian socialite; wife of composer Gustav Mahler, architect Walter Gropius, and novelist Franz Werfel
- Alma RoséGirl
Austrian violinist and conductor of the Women’s Orchestra of Auschwitz
- Alma Socorro Martínez (Torres)Girl
Mexican footballer
- Alma Templeton MoodieGirl
Australian violinist
- (Alma) Andrea MezaGirl
Miss World Mexico 2017
- Alma Jiménez Porter (b. 2011)Girl
daughter of footballer Iker Jimenez
- Alma Sanz (b. 2014)Girl
daughter of singer Alejandro Sanz
- Alma Versano (b. 2011)Girl
daughter of actress Gal Gadot and Yaron Versano
- Alma MascheranoGirl
daughter of Argentine footballer Javier Mascherano
- Alma Bay Dano (b. 2018)Girl
daughter of actor/writers Zoe Kazan and Paul Dano
Alma in pop culture
- Alma SingerGirl
character in The History of Love by Nicole Krauss
- Alma WinemillerGirl
main character in Tennessee Williams' Summer and Smoke
- Alma WalkerGirl
character on FX's American Horror Story: Asylum
- Alma CoinGirl
character in The Hunger Games trilogy
- Alma DrayGirl
character in film Now You See Me
- Alma GarretGirl
character on TV's Deadwood
- Alma LeFay PeregrineGirl
character in the Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children series by Ransom Riggs
- Alma WadeGirl
character in the F.E.A.R. video game series
- Alma ParkerGirl
character in 1966 film The Ghost and Mr. Chicken
- Alma HalliwellGirl
character on British soap Coronation Street
- Alma HodgeGirl
character on TV's Desperate Housewives
- AlmaGirl
a Greater Fiend from the video game Ninja Gaiden
- Alma MontemayorGirl
main character in Mexican telenovela Porque el amor manda
- Alma BeoulveGirl
character in video game Final Fantasy Tactics
- Alma JinnaiGirl
character in anime Jewelpet Tinkle
- Alma PuddenGirl
character in the St Clare book series by Enid Blyton
- AlmaGirl
character in animated series Doc McStuffins
- Book of AlmaGirl
section of the Book of Mormon
- AlmaGirl
a character in The Handmaid's Tale TV series