Holding steady, #13,208 for girls today.
Popularity of Alpha since 1880
Babies named Alpha per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 1916, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Alpha's real moment was 1899.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls | Boys |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 361 | 90 |
| 1890s | 704 | 63 |
| 1900s | 828 | 68 |
| 1910s | 1,537 | 233 |
| 1920s | 1,494 | 257 |
| 1930s | 837 | 185 |
| 1940s | 540 | 125 |
| 1950s | 276 | 121 |
| 1960s | 150 | 92 |
| 1970s | 133 | 113 |
| 1980s | 90 | 88 |
| 1990s | 95 | 152 |
| 2000s | 57 | 422 |
| 2010s | 42 | 472 |
| 2020s | 44 | 376 |
Meaning & origin
Alpha, a name that literally means 'first' as the opening letter of the Greek alphabet, has a long but rare history in American naming. First recorded in 1880, it saw its peak popularity in 1899, ranking 13,208 in recent years with a stable trajectory. The name is exceedingly rare, with just 1 in 267,878 boys receiving it in 2025. Its symbolic use has given it a philosophical edge, often chosen by parents valuing uniqueness and a strong, primal meaning.
Alpha is the name of the first letter of the Greek alphabet, derived from the Phoenician letter 'aleph'. In English, it has been used as a given name since the 19th century, largely as a philosophical or symbolic choice representing beginnings and primacy.
Where Alpha is most popular
Births per 100,000 girls by state. Press play or drag the slider to watch it move across the decades. The lightest shade means too few recorded births.
“Alpha” around the world
Where Alpha lands in the latest official birth statistics abroad, matched to the U.S. spelling.
France
95
babies in 2024
Quebec
5
babies in 2025
Sources: INSEE (France) · Retraite Québec (Quebec).
Sibling names for Alpha
Names that share Alpha's style, for a brother or sister.
