Holding steady.
Popularity of Alda since 1880
Babies named Alda per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 1918, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Alda's real moment was 1901.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 143 |
| 1890s | 290 |
| 1900s | 389 |
| 1910s | 1,076 |
| 1920s | 1,240 |
| 1930s | 612 |
| 1940s | 399 |
| 1950s | 283 |
| 1960s | 163 |
| 1970s | 145 |
| 1980s | 95 |
| 1990s | 80 |
| 2000s | 19 |
| 2010s | 26 |
| 2020s | 6 |
Meaning & origin
Alda is a concise, feminine name with Germanic roots, meaning 'old' or 'wise'. It first appeared in U.S. records in 1880, and reached its peak usage in 1901, ranking 1,783rd that year. Despite falling out of common use since the 1900s, its trajectory has been stable, with intermittent births each year through 2025. The name never broke into the top 1,000 nor saw a surge in any particular state, reflecting its consistent but rare use. Alda carries an old-fashioned charm, suited for parents seeking a short, historic name with a straightforward sound.
Alda is a feminine name of Germanic origin, derived from the element 'ald' meaning 'old' or 'wise'. It is a short form of longer names such as Aldegund or Aldith, or a feminine variant of Aldo. The name was used in medieval Germany and Italy, and saw modest use in the English-speaking world in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, often as a surname transferred to a given name.
“Alda” around the world
Where Alda lands in the latest official birth statistics abroad, matched to the U.S. spelling.
France
5
babies in 2024
Sources: INSEE (France).
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Addie, Ali
Variants: Aldina, Aldabella
Sibling names for Alda
Names that share Alda's style, for a brother or sister.
