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

Showing
Show data for
Peak · girls
1881 · 27 births
Debut · girls
26 births
In top 100 · girls
never
of 146 years
Total births · girls
7,188
since 1880

Alpha over time

girlsboys

Rank within each sex, plotted together. Click any year to open it.

#1#10#100#1,000#10,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201932peak #301, 1881peak #489, 1882girlsboys
Hover or use arrow keys to read values by year; click or press Enter to open that year.

Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.

Show data table
Yeargirlsboys
rankbirthsrankbirths
2025#13,2086#2,07771
2024#15,2935#2,02875
2023#11,1698#2,48054
2022#11,2318#2,32561
2021#9,56210#2,62349
2020#12,1427#2,11366
2019#6,69817#2,12967
2018#15,6825#2,54650
2017—#2,45052
2016#11,7818#2,20761
2015—#2,76643
2014—#2,75443
2013#16,5475#2,80441
2012—#3,00238
2011#13,3477#3,30633
2010—#2,73044
2009—#2,52850
2008—#2,51550
2007#13,9247#2,64346
2006#15,1526#2,39851
2005#10,9219#2,65341
2004#14,1796#3,07432
2003#13,8446#2,54540
2002—#2,55638
2001#9,35110#2,48939
2000#7,58013#2,62135
1999#10,3458#2,60833
1998#5,36319#3,59720
1997#4,66022#3,87717
1996#3,36134#4,18515
1995#13,3865#4,28014
1994—#4,53713
1993—#3,81916
1992—#6,6707
1991—#5,09610
1990#10,1937#6,4157
1989#6,53112#4,27112
1988#7,6919—
1987#9,8256#6,9515
1986#7,1349#5,3327
1985#6,45710#4,6988
1984#9,1446#3,70111
1983#6,21210#3,07114
1982#10,5175#3,28213
1981#5,88511#3,60111
1980#5,54412#4,9407
1979#5,42712#2,89715
1978#4,93113#2,79915
1977#5,21312#4,5827
1976#4,36314#3,7249
1975#5,16111#3,24611
1974#4,72012#2,79913
1973#3,97115#2,85712
1972#5,10910#2,53414
1971#3,65217#3,14610
1970#3,57717#3,8367
1969#4,41811#2,86110
1968#4,00012—
1967#4,9828#2,7609
1966#3,95911#2,32712
1965#2,74420#2,9828
1964#4,35510#2,20514
1963#2,61922#3,0448
1962#2,92218#2,67310
1961#2,67321#2,40912
1960#2,98917#2,8719
1959#2,10829#2,66310
1958#2,37623#3,2757
1957#2,56320#2,09315
1956#1,93131#2,62810
1955#2,41121#2,9648
1954#2,37821#2,11414
1953#2,17323#2,39111
1952#1,78131#1,93916
1951#1,61135#2,13513
1950#1,41142#1,81517
1949#1,62733#1,70219
1948#1,34547#1,88116
1947#1,23853#2,16913
1946#1,10759#1,81316
1945#1,21343#2,13111
1944#96465#2,8627
1943#1,12451#2,27711
1942#96865—
1941#1,01352#1,82115
1940#84172#1,68017
1939#89861#2,28810
1938#84071#1,61318
1937#77877#1,75616
1936#79173#1,87214
1935#70591#1,53820
1934#67199#1,78316
1933#69388#1,64418
1932#71291#1,28628
1931#656102#1,45823
1930#76884#1,55922
1929#698100#2,00215
1928#628125#1,96016
1927#562159#1,35030
1926#639126#1,72020
1925#609143#1,49325
1924#619147#1,32931
1923#567161#1,46026
1922#552166#1,10741
1921#529179#1,36030
1920#504188#1,59223
1919#487189#1,38627
1918#513179#1,49924
1917#469191#1,06239
1916#451198#1,20630
1915#455182#1,18130
1914#470135#1,22123
1913#403148#99525
1912#447111#1,02320
1911#385110#1,1909
1910#40694#1,4216
1909#39586—
1908#36896#9469
1907#37687#86610
1906#39974#1,0047
1905#39373#1,2335
1904#33397#1,2055
1903#34185—
1902#35481#58314
1901#36071#59612
1900#37878#1,1626
1899#31988#9286
1898#36175#1,0026
1897#33975#65211
1896#32182#9826
1895#33075—
1894#32872#7309
1893#34062—
1892#34359#68810
1891#32559#7667
1890#33757#7398
1889#32158#7897
1888#34747#9176
1887#32842#9215
1886#34638#6948
1885#33735#54712
1884#38527#54712
1883#31432#55611
1882#32629#48914
1881#30127#5959
1880#30926#8096
First appearance
1880

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 1932

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: fewer than 5 girls named Alpha, so not publishedAKMaine: fewer than 5 girls named Alpha, so not publishedMEVermont: fewer than 5 girls named Alpha, so not publishedVTNew Hampshire: fewer than 5 girls named Alpha, so not publishedNHWashington: fewer than 5 girls named Alpha, so not publishedWAIdaho: fewer than 5 girls named Alpha, so not publishedIDMontana: fewer than 5 girls named Alpha, so not publishedMTNorth Dakota: fewer than 5 girls named Alpha, so not publishedNDMinnesota: fewer than 5 girls named Alpha, so not publishedMNIllinois: fewer than 5 girls named Alpha, so not publishedILWisconsin: fewer than 5 girls named Alpha, so not publishedWIMichigan: fewer than 5 girls named Alpha, so not publishedMINew York: fewer than 5 girls named Alpha, so not publishedNYMassachusetts: fewer than 5 girls named Alpha, so not publishedMARhode Island: fewer than 5 girls named Alpha, so not publishedRIOregon: fewer than 5 girls named Alpha, so not publishedORNevada: fewer than 5 girls named Alpha, so not publishedNVWyoming: fewer than 5 girls named Alpha, so not publishedWYSouth Dakota: fewer than 5 girls named Alpha, so not publishedSDIowa: fewer than 5 girls named Alpha, so not publishedIAIndiana: fewer than 5 girls named Alpha, so not publishedINOhio: fewer than 5 girls named Alpha, so not publishedOHPennsylvania: fewer than 5 girls named Alpha, so not publishedPANew Jersey: fewer than 5 girls named Alpha, so not publishedNJConnecticut: fewer than 5 girls named Alpha, so not publishedCTCalifornia: fewer than 5 girls named Alpha, so not publishedCAUtah: fewer than 5 girls named Alpha, so not publishedUTColorado: fewer than 5 girls named Alpha, so not publishedCONebraska: fewer than 5 girls named Alpha, so not publishedNEMissouri: #376 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 3,950 girlsMOKentucky: #340 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 3,036 girlsKYWest Virginia: fewer than 5 girls named Alpha, so not publishedWVVirginia: fewer than 5 girls named Alpha, so not publishedVAMaryland: fewer than 5 girls named Alpha, so not publishedMDDelaware: fewer than 5 girls named Alpha, so not publishedDEArizona: fewer than 5 girls named Alpha, so not publishedAZNew Mexico: fewer than 5 girls named Alpha, so not publishedNMKansas: fewer than 5 girls named Alpha, so not publishedKSArkansas: fewer than 5 girls named Alpha, so not publishedARTennessee: #398 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 4,524 girlsTNNorth Carolina: fewer than 5 girls named Alpha, so not publishedNCSouth Carolina: fewer than 5 girls named Alpha, so not publishedSCDistrict of Columbia: fewer than 5 girls named Alpha, so not publishedDCOklahoma: #368 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 2,745 girlsOKLouisiana: #469 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 4,198 girlsLAMississippi: #400 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 3,670 girlsMSAlabama: fewer than 5 girls named Alpha, so not publishedALGeorgia: fewer than 5 girls named Alpha, so not publishedGAHawaii: fewer than 5 girls named Alpha, so not publishedHITexas: #488 for girls · 15 births · 1 in 3,750 girlsTXFlorida: fewer than 5 girls named Alpha, so not publishedFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · girls
  1. Kentucky#340 · 1 in 3,036
  2. Oklahoma#368 · 1 in 2,745
  3. Missouri#376 · 1 in 3,950
  4. Tennessee#398 · 1 in 4,524
  5. Mississippi#400 · 1 in 3,670

Best ever in a state: #123 in North Dakota, 1912.

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Kentucky#34091 in 3,036
Oklahoma#36881 in 2,745
Missouri#37671 in 3,950
Tennessee#39861 in 4,524
Mississippi#40061 in 3,670
Louisiana#46951 in 4,198
Texas#488151 in 3,750
Alabama———
Alaska———
Arizona———
Arkansas———
California———
Colorado———
Connecticut———
Delaware———
District of Columbia———
Florida———
Georgia———
Hawaii———
Idaho———
Illinois———
Indiana———
Iowa———
Kansas———
Maine———
Maryland———
Massachusetts———
Michigan———
Minnesota———
Montana———
Nebraska———
Nevada———
New Hampshire———
New Jersey———
New Mexico———
New York———
North Carolina———
North Dakota———
Ohio———
Oregon———
Pennsylvania———
Rhode Island———
South Carolina———
South Dakota———
Utah———
Vermont———
Virginia———
Washington———
West Virginia———
Wisconsin———
Wyoming———

Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the girls born there that year. The SSA only publishes a name in a state when 5 or more babies of one sex got it.

See more about Alpha
Momentum · girls
Holding steady
  • 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)
Rise & fade · girls
1 yr to peak
  • Debuted 1880
  • Peaked 1881 at #301 (27 births)
  • Births halved by 1964, 83 yrs later
Top of the charts · girls
Top 1,000 for 63 yrs
  • Top 10: never
  • Top 100: never
  • Top 1,000: 63 yrs · run 1880–1940
Share of babies · girls
1 in 2,648
  • 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
Era · girls
The 1910s
  • 21.4% of all girls named Alpha (1,537) were born in this decade
Girls or boys?
Flipped in 1998
  • Mostly girls until 1997, mostly boys since
all girlsall boys
Show by decade
DecadeBirthsBest rankAvg rank
1880s361#301 (1881)#331
1890s704#319 (1899)#334
1900s828#333 (1904)#370
1910s1,537#385 (1911)#449
1920s1,494#504 (1920)#591
1930s837#656 (1931)#751
1940s540#841 (1940)#1,144
1950s276#1,411 (1950)#2,074
1960s150#2,619 (1963)#3,566
1970s133#3,577 (1970)#4,612
1980s90#5,544 (1980)#7,494
1990s95#3,361 (1996)#7,885
2000s57#7,580 (2000)#12,136
2010s42#6,698 (2019)#12,811
2020s44#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 1932

girls
#712
91 births · 1 in 11,727 girls
boys
#1,286
28 births · 1 in 37,291 boys

Top girls' names in 1932

  1. #1Mary59,883
  2. #2Betty34,420
  3. #3Barbara26,318
  4. #4Dorothy24,974
  5. #5Joan21,044
  6. #6Patricia17,992
  7. #7Margaret16,556
  8. #8Helen16,376
  9. #9Shirley14,476
  10. #10Doris12,910
  11. #712Alpha91

Top boys' names in 1932

  1. #1Robert59,268
  2. #2James51,930
  3. #3John48,624
  4. #4William42,124
  5. #5Richard31,809
  6. #6Charles31,092
  7. #7Donald29,794
  8. #8George20,439
  9. #9Joseph18,566
  10. #10Thomas16,834
  11. #1,286Alpha28
More about 1932

girls

1,067,148 girls got a published name in 1932; 1 in 11,727 of them was named Alpha, which outranked 86.0% of the 5,098 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 23.0% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Alpha
  1. #708Maryanne92
  2. #708Rubye92
  3. #708Thomas92
  4. #712Alpha91
  5. #712Darline91
  6. #712Mozelle91
  7. #715Carroll90
  8. #715Jacquelin90
  9. #715Libby90

Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1931
Risers
  1. ↑ 963Dian#1,876 → #913
  2. ↑ 519Carleen#1,394 → #875
  3. ↑ 357Jimmy#1,336 → #979
  4. ↑ 347Letty#1,287 → #940
  5. ↑ 340Letitia#1,148 → #808
Fallers
  1. ↓ 350Blossom#970 → #1,320
  2. ↓ 332Luetta#844 → #1,176
  3. ↓ 305Roy#887 → #1,192
  4. ↓ 289Sofia#887 → #1,176
  5. ↓ 282Joretta#463 → #745

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

boys

1,044,157 boys got a published name in 1932; 1 in 37,291 of them was named Alpha, which outranked 70.0% of the 4,284 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 33.6% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Alpha
  1. #1,254Niles29
  2. #1,254Simeon29
  3. #1,254Wendall29
  4. #1,286Alpha28
  5. #1,286Alfonse28
  6. #1,286Alphonzo28
  7. #1,286Burnett28
  8. #1,324Acie27
  9. #1,324Archibald27
  10. #1,324Aubry27

Tied with 37 names at #1,286; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1931
Risers
  1. ↑ 2,418Delano#3,095 → #677
  2. ↑ 969Garner#1,643 → #674
  3. ↑ 868Ronny#1,770 → #902
  4. ↑ 713Darryl#1,693 → #980
  5. ↑ 609Marc#1,589 → #980
Fallers
  1. ↓ 467Jones#959 → #1,426
  2. ↓ 455Hamilton#831 → #1,286
  3. ↓ 393Hyman#697 → #1,090
  4. ↓ 373Davey#983 → #1,356
  5. ↓ 341Hayes#983 → #1,324

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

See the top 100 for 1932 →