Alpha
#13,208 for girls in 2025, 6 births · #2,077 for boys in 2025, 71 births
Given to girls 71.6% of the time
- Peak · girls
- 1881 · 27 births
- Debut · girls
- 26 births
- In top 100 · girls
- neverof 146 years
- Total births · girls
- 7,188since 1880
Alpha over time
Rank within each sex, plotted together. Click any year to open it.
Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.
Show data table
| Year | girls | boys | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| rank | births | rank | births | |
| 2025 | #13,208 | 6 | #2,077 | 71 |
| 2024 | #15,293 | 5 | #2,028 | 75 |
| 2023 | #11,169 | 8 | #2,480 | 54 |
| 2022 | #11,231 | 8 | #2,325 | 61 |
| 2021 | #9,562 | 10 | #2,623 | 49 |
| 2020 | #12,142 | 7 | #2,113 | 66 |
| 2019 | #6,698 | 17 | #2,129 | 67 |
| 2018 | #15,682 | 5 | #2,546 | 50 |
| 2017 | — | #2,450 | 52 | |
| 2016 | #11,781 | 8 | #2,207 | 61 |
| 2015 | — | #2,766 | 43 | |
| 2014 | — | #2,754 | 43 | |
| 2013 | #16,547 | 5 | #2,804 | 41 |
| 2012 | — | #3,002 | 38 | |
| 2011 | #13,347 | 7 | #3,306 | 33 |
| 2010 | — | #2,730 | 44 | |
| 2009 | — | #2,528 | 50 | |
| 2008 | — | #2,515 | 50 | |
| 2007 | #13,924 | 7 | #2,643 | 46 |
| 2006 | #15,152 | 6 | #2,398 | 51 |
| 2005 | #10,921 | 9 | #2,653 | 41 |
| 2004 | #14,179 | 6 | #3,074 | 32 |
| 2003 | #13,844 | 6 | #2,545 | 40 |
| 2002 | — | #2,556 | 38 | |
| 2001 | #9,351 | 10 | #2,489 | 39 |
| 2000 | #7,580 | 13 | #2,621 | 35 |
| 1999 | #10,345 | 8 | #2,608 | 33 |
| 1998 | #5,363 | 19 | #3,597 | 20 |
| 1997 | #4,660 | 22 | #3,877 | 17 |
| 1996 | #3,361 | 34 | #4,185 | 15 |
| 1995 | #13,386 | 5 | #4,280 | 14 |
| 1994 | — | #4,537 | 13 | |
| 1993 | — | #3,819 | 16 | |
| 1992 | — | #6,670 | 7 | |
| 1991 | — | #5,096 | 10 | |
| 1990 | #10,193 | 7 | #6,415 | 7 |
| 1989 | #6,531 | 12 | #4,271 | 12 |
| 1988 | #7,691 | 9 | — | |
| 1987 | #9,825 | 6 | #6,951 | 5 |
| 1986 | #7,134 | 9 | #5,332 | 7 |
| 1985 | #6,457 | 10 | #4,698 | 8 |
| 1984 | #9,144 | 6 | #3,701 | 11 |
| 1983 | #6,212 | 10 | #3,071 | 14 |
| 1982 | #10,517 | 5 | #3,282 | 13 |
| 1981 | #5,885 | 11 | #3,601 | 11 |
| 1980 | #5,544 | 12 | #4,940 | 7 |
| 1979 | #5,427 | 12 | #2,897 | 15 |
| 1978 | #4,931 | 13 | #2,799 | 15 |
| 1977 | #5,213 | 12 | #4,582 | 7 |
| 1976 | #4,363 | 14 | #3,724 | 9 |
| 1975 | #5,161 | 11 | #3,246 | 11 |
| 1974 | #4,720 | 12 | #2,799 | 13 |
| 1973 | #3,971 | 15 | #2,857 | 12 |
| 1972 | #5,109 | 10 | #2,534 | 14 |
| 1971 | #3,652 | 17 | #3,146 | 10 |
| 1970 | #3,577 | 17 | #3,836 | 7 |
| 1969 | #4,418 | 11 | #2,861 | 10 |
| 1968 | #4,000 | 12 | — | |
| 1967 | #4,982 | 8 | #2,760 | 9 |
| 1966 | #3,959 | 11 | #2,327 | 12 |
| 1965 | #2,744 | 20 | #2,982 | 8 |
| 1964 | #4,355 | 10 | #2,205 | 14 |
| 1963 | #2,619 | 22 | #3,044 | 8 |
| 1962 | #2,922 | 18 | #2,673 | 10 |
| 1961 | #2,673 | 21 | #2,409 | 12 |
| 1960 | #2,989 | 17 | #2,871 | 9 |
| 1959 | #2,108 | 29 | #2,663 | 10 |
| 1958 | #2,376 | 23 | #3,275 | 7 |
| 1957 | #2,563 | 20 | #2,093 | 15 |
| 1956 | #1,931 | 31 | #2,628 | 10 |
| 1955 | #2,411 | 21 | #2,964 | 8 |
| 1954 | #2,378 | 21 | #2,114 | 14 |
| 1953 | #2,173 | 23 | #2,391 | 11 |
| 1952 | #1,781 | 31 | #1,939 | 16 |
| 1951 | #1,611 | 35 | #2,135 | 13 |
| 1950 | #1,411 | 42 | #1,815 | 17 |
| 1949 | #1,627 | 33 | #1,702 | 19 |
| 1948 | #1,345 | 47 | #1,881 | 16 |
| 1947 | #1,238 | 53 | #2,169 | 13 |
| 1946 | #1,107 | 59 | #1,813 | 16 |
| 1945 | #1,213 | 43 | #2,131 | 11 |
| 1944 | #964 | 65 | #2,862 | 7 |
| 1943 | #1,124 | 51 | #2,277 | 11 |
| 1942 | #968 | 65 | — | |
| 1941 | #1,013 | 52 | #1,821 | 15 |
| 1940 | #841 | 72 | #1,680 | 17 |
| 1939 | #898 | 61 | #2,288 | 10 |
| 1938 | #840 | 71 | #1,613 | 18 |
| 1937 | #778 | 77 | #1,756 | 16 |
| 1936 | #791 | 73 | #1,872 | 14 |
| 1935 | #705 | 91 | #1,538 | 20 |
| 1934 | #671 | 99 | #1,783 | 16 |
| 1933 | #693 | 88 | #1,644 | 18 |
| 1932 | #712 | 91 | #1,286 | 28 |
| 1931 | #656 | 102 | #1,458 | 23 |
| 1930 | #768 | 84 | #1,559 | 22 |
| 1929 | #698 | 100 | #2,002 | 15 |
| 1928 | #628 | 125 | #1,960 | 16 |
| 1927 | #562 | 159 | #1,350 | 30 |
| 1926 | #639 | 126 | #1,720 | 20 |
| 1925 | #609 | 143 | #1,493 | 25 |
| 1924 | #619 | 147 | #1,329 | 31 |
| 1923 | #567 | 161 | #1,460 | 26 |
| 1922 | #552 | 166 | #1,107 | 41 |
| 1921 | #529 | 179 | #1,360 | 30 |
| 1920 | #504 | 188 | #1,592 | 23 |
| 1919 | #487 | 189 | #1,386 | 27 |
| 1918 | #513 | 179 | #1,499 | 24 |
| 1917 | #469 | 191 | #1,062 | 39 |
| 1916 | #451 | 198 | #1,206 | 30 |
| 1915 | #455 | 182 | #1,181 | 30 |
| 1914 | #470 | 135 | #1,221 | 23 |
| 1913 | #403 | 148 | #995 | 25 |
| 1912 | #447 | 111 | #1,023 | 20 |
| 1911 | #385 | 110 | #1,190 | 9 |
| 1910 | #406 | 94 | #1,421 | 6 |
| 1909 | #395 | 86 | — | |
| 1908 | #368 | 96 | #946 | 9 |
| 1907 | #376 | 87 | #866 | 10 |
| 1906 | #399 | 74 | #1,004 | 7 |
| 1905 | #393 | 73 | #1,233 | 5 |
| 1904 | #333 | 97 | #1,205 | 5 |
| 1903 | #341 | 85 | — | |
| 1902 | #354 | 81 | #583 | 14 |
| 1901 | #360 | 71 | #596 | 12 |
| 1900 | #378 | 78 | #1,162 | 6 |
| 1899 | #319 | 88 | #928 | 6 |
| 1898 | #361 | 75 | #1,002 | 6 |
| 1897 | #339 | 75 | #652 | 11 |
| 1896 | #321 | 82 | #982 | 6 |
| 1895 | #330 | 75 | — | |
| 1894 | #328 | 72 | #730 | 9 |
| 1893 | #340 | 62 | — | |
| 1892 | #343 | 59 | #688 | 10 |
| 1891 | #325 | 59 | #766 | 7 |
| 1890 | #337 | 57 | #739 | 8 |
| 1889 | #321 | 58 | #789 | 7 |
| 1888 | #347 | 47 | #917 | 6 |
| 1887 | #328 | 42 | #921 | 5 |
| 1886 | #346 | 38 | #694 | 8 |
| 1885 | #337 | 35 | #547 | 12 |
| 1884 | #385 | 27 | #547 | 12 |
| 1883 | #314 | 32 | #556 | 11 |
| 1882 | #326 | 29 | #489 | 14 |
| 1881 | #301 | 27 | #595 | 9 |
| 1880 | #309 | 26 | #809 | 6 |
In the first year the SSA published name data, Alpha was already there! It came in at #309, and was given to 26 baby girls.
Quietest stretch: 1991–1995, when fewer than 6 girls a year got the name.
Where Alpha is popular in 1891
The SSA only publishes names by state from 1910 on.
See more about Alpha
- 2,085 spots since 2024 (#15,293 → #13,208)
- 1,066 spots since 2020 (#12,142 → #13,208)
- Biggest jump: 160 spots in 1944 (#1,124 → #964)
- Biggest drop: 249 spots in 1945 (#964 → #1,213)
- Debuted 1880
- Peaked 1881 at #301 (27 births)
- Births halved by 1964, 83 yrs later
- Top 10: never
- Top 100: never
- Top 1,000: 63 yrs · run 1880–1940
- Highest: 1 in 2,648 girls born in 1899 were named Alpha (0.04%)
- Latest: 1 in 267,878 girls born in 2025 (0.00%)
- Its best rank, #301 in 1881, was only 1 in 3,406 (0.03%) — a smaller share of a much bigger birth year
- 21.4% of all girls named Alpha (1,537) were born in this decade
- Mostly girls until 1997, mostly boys since
Show by decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank | Avg rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 361 | #301 (1881) | #331 |
| 1890s | 704 | #319 (1899) | #334 |
| 1900s | 828 | #333 (1904) | #370 |
| 1910s | 1,537 | #385 (1911) | #449 |
| 1920s | 1,494 | #504 (1920) | #591 |
| 1930s | 837 | #656 (1931) | #751 |
| 1940s | 540 | #841 (1940) | #1,144 |
| 1950s | 276 | #1,411 (1950) | #2,074 |
| 1960s | 150 | #2,619 (1963) | #3,566 |
| 1970s | 133 | #3,577 (1970) | #4,612 |
| 1980s | 90 | #5,544 (1980) | #7,494 |
| 1990s | 95 | #3,361 (1996) | #7,885 |
| 2000s | 57 | #7,580 (2000) | #12,136 |
| 2010s | 42 | #6,698 (2019) | #12,811 |
| 2020s | 44 | #9,562 (2021) | #12,101 |
All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 girls in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.
Alpha in 1891
Top girls' names in 1891
Top boys' names in 1891
More about 1891
girls
185,482 girls got a published name in 1891; 1 in 3,144 of them was named Alpha, which outranked 78.8% of the 1,533 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 20.7% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).
boys
101,191 boys got a published name in 1891; 1 in 14,456 of them was named Alpha, which outranked 32.0% of the 1,127 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 37.7% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).
Tied with 74 names at #766; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.
Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.