Alva

#5,554 for girls in 2025, 22 births · #10,695 for boys in 2025, 6 births
Given to boys 55.9% of the time

Showing
Show data for
Peak · boys
1882 · 85 births
Debut · boys
70 births
In top 100 · boys
never
of 146 years
Total births · boys
11,269
since 1880

Alva over time

girlsboys

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

#1#10#100#1,000#10,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201931peak #334, 1896peak #161, 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#5,55422#10,6956
2024#4,47331#8,9878
2023#5,24824#7,73810
2022#4,67129#7,76810
2021#4,60729#12,1465
2020#3,60741#7,50210
2019#4,34332#12,1455
2018#4,76828#7,61710
2017#5,82121#6,33813
2016#4,99027#7,15711
2015#6,45219#10,6446
2014#8,96612#10,7176
2013#8,13514#8,7898
2012#8,20814—
2011#8,61413—
2010#7,21717#10,7666
2009#9,37912—
2008#8,10915#11,0376
2007#8,52014#7,59010
2006#17,1685—
2005#8,33013#11,4725
2004#6,76817#7,5369
2003#6,57617#10,8945
2002#7,81613—
2001#11,0208#9,2436
2000#5,93718#5,92011
1999#10,3458#5,65611
1998#6,71914#6,8438
1997#12,0706#5,64210
1996#5,53117#5,9829
1995#7,04112#4,05215
1994#7,09712#6,3728
1993#4,39323#5,00211
1992#4,52822#4,32713
1991#5,39917#6,5197
1990#3,90926#4,40712
1989#2,71441#3,44616
1988#3,16531#3,70513
1987#5,31214#4,5739
1986#4,18619#3,13115
1985#2,70435#3,40113
1984#4,47816#3,45912
1983#2,97528#2,78716
1982#3,26026#2,26922
1981#2,72333#2,77916
1980#2,60336#2,05826
1979#3,54122#2,46519
1978#2,85928#1,71831
1977#2,90927#1,85827
1976#2,66429#1,99924
1975#2,51631#1,83526
1974#2,68327#1,74727
1973#2,45530#1,35438
1972#2,45129#1,60329
1971#1,90645#1,41536
1970#1,82848#1,41635
1969#2,02338#1,07552
1968#1,64749#1,28235
1967#1,88139#1,25336
1966#1,70044#1,19439
1965#1,52853#1,12944
1964#1,51856#1,05951
1963#1,56552#1,15145
1962#1,27875#1,05652
1961#1,53354#95065
1960#1,43059#98160
1959#1,49952#92668
1958#1,24073#1,00657
1957#1,17381#99558
1956#1,11685#96959
1955#1,01098#80782
1954#1,03989#89268
1953#1,17867#88965
1952#1,04681#71497
1951#97791#85766
1950#1,01880#69597
1949#97384#649111
1948#92388#633115
1947#90995#595131
1946#93679#603114
1945#92567#558115
1944#83683#579112
1943#78897#508148
1942#80291#532131
1941#73593#586102
1940#70298#497137
1939#623117#485140
1938#687100#463156
1937#624118#452155
1936#638106#416177
1935#604116#470146
1934#604119#451155
1933#597117#442156
1932#559137#424175
1931#568135#385213
1930#631120#402208
1929#609126#369241
1928#545163#416207
1927#552164#374245
1926#570156#364259
1925#580154#388239
1924#560167#362273
1923#593149#359274
1922#534174#384246
1921#553165#351289
1920#541173#353278
1919#516174#349264
1918#483196#346273
1917#526161#294317
1916#480176#329260
1915#518146#324262
1914#507121#350178
1913#413142#307167
1912#414125#312138
1911#44683#36358
1910#44580#31761
1909#44270#26868
1908#46460#38936
1907#41274#27259
1906#42365#24664
1905#44258#26357
1904#46949#27349
1903#41458#25750
1902#42054#23460
1901#42849#22859
1900#40767#23773
1899#46739#21361
1898#41156#21567
1897#40851#20469
1896#33476#21968
1895#35761#19774
1894#39850#19476
1893#42241#20866
1892#41940#20274
1891#50626#18866
1890#42935#19468
1889#54322#20562
1888#43932#20274
1887#37832#20158
1886#47621#20664
1885#52017#24346
1884#7319#20962
1883#8176#17272
1882#50713#16185
1881#47013#17170
1880#40317#18070
First appearance
1880

In the first year the SSA published name data, Alva was already there! It came in at #180, and was given to 70 baby boys.


Quietest stretch: 2002–2003, when fewer than 6 boys a year got the name.

Where Alva is popular in 1931

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: fewer than 5 boys named Alva, so not publishedAKMaine: fewer than 5 boys named Alva, so not publishedMEVermont: fewer than 5 boys named Alva, so not publishedVTNew Hampshire: fewer than 5 boys named Alva, so not publishedNHWashington: fewer than 5 boys named Alva, so not publishedWAIdaho: fewer than 5 boys named Alva, so not publishedIDMontana: fewer than 5 boys named Alva, so not publishedMTNorth Dakota: fewer than 5 boys named Alva, so not publishedNDMinnesota: fewer than 5 boys named Alva, so not publishedMNIllinois: #345 for boys · 9 births · 1 in 5,990 boysILWisconsin: fewer than 5 boys named Alva, so not publishedWIMichigan: #343 for boys · 7 births · 1 in 5,562 boysMINew York: #537 for boys · 6 births · 1 in 15,034 boysNYMassachusetts: fewer than 5 boys named Alva, so not publishedMARhode Island: fewer than 5 boys named Alva, so not publishedRIOregon: fewer than 5 boys named Alva, so not publishedORNevada: fewer than 5 boys named Alva, so not publishedNVWyoming: fewer than 5 boys named Alva, so not publishedWYSouth Dakota: fewer than 5 boys named Alva, so not publishedSDIowa: fewer than 5 boys named Alva, so not publishedIAIndiana: #202 for boys · 13 births · 1 in 1,834 boysINOhio: #276 for boys · 12 births · 1 in 3,999 boysOHPennsylvania: #459 for boys · 6 births · 1 in 12,744 boysPANew Jersey: fewer than 5 boys named Alva, so not publishedNJConnecticut: fewer than 5 boys named Alva, so not publishedCTCalifornia: #436 for boys · 6 births · 1 in 6,062 boysCAUtah: fewer than 5 boys named Alva, so not publishedUTColorado: fewer than 5 boys named Alva, so not publishedCONebraska: fewer than 5 boys named Alva, so not publishedNEMissouri: #222 for boys · 14 births · 1 in 1,940 boysMOKentucky: #210 for boys · 15 births · 1 in 1,650 boysKYWest Virginia: #203 for boys · 11 births · 1 in 1,472 boysWVVirginia: #379 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 4,219 boysVAMaryland: #203 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 2,326 boysMDDelaware: fewer than 5 boys named Alva, so not publishedDEArizona: fewer than 5 boys named Alva, so not publishedAZNew Mexico: fewer than 5 boys named Alva, so not publishedNMKansas: fewer than 5 boys named Alva, so not publishedKSArkansas: #310 for boys · 6 births · 1 in 2,732 boysARTennessee: fewer than 5 boys named Alva, so not publishedTNNorth Carolina: #433 for boys · 6 births · 1 in 5,271 boysNCSouth Carolina: fewer than 5 boys named Alva, so not publishedSCDistrict of Columbia: fewer than 5 boys named Alva, so not publishedDCOklahoma: #308 for boys · 7 births · 1 in 3,092 boysOKLouisiana: fewer than 5 boys named Alva, so not publishedLAMississippi: fewer than 5 boys named Alva, so not publishedMSAlabama: fewer than 5 boys named Alva, so not publishedALGeorgia: #282 for boys · 10 births · 1 in 2,731 boysGAHawaii: fewer than 5 boys named Alva, so not publishedHITexas: #598 for boys · 9 births · 1 in 6,134 boysTXFlorida: #221 for boys · 7 births · 1 in 1,606 boysFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · boys
  1. Indiana#202 · 1 in 1,834
  2. West Virginia#203 · 1 in 1,472
  3. Maryland#203 · 1 in 2,326
  4. Kentucky#210 · 1 in 1,650
  5. Florida#221 · 1 in 1,606

Best ever in a state: #54 in West Virginia, 1910.

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Indiana#202131 in 1,834
Maryland#20351 in 2,326
West Virginia#203111 in 1,472
Kentucky#210151 in 1,650
Florida#22171 in 1,606
Missouri#222141 in 1,940
Ohio#276121 in 3,999
Georgia#282101 in 2,731
Oklahoma#30871 in 3,092
Arkansas#31061 in 2,732
Michigan#34371 in 5,562
Illinois#34591 in 5,990
Virginia#37951 in 4,219
North Carolina#43361 in 5,271
California#43661 in 6,062
Pennsylvania#45961 in 12,744
New York#53761 in 15,034
Texas#59891 in 6,134
Alabama———
Alaska———
Arizona———
Colorado———
Connecticut———
Delaware———
District of Columbia———
Hawaii———
Idaho———
Iowa———
Kansas———
Louisiana———
Maine———
Massachusetts———
Minnesota———
Mississippi———
Montana———
Nebraska———
Nevada———
New Hampshire———
New Jersey———
New Mexico———
North Dakota———
Oregon———
Rhode Island———
South Carolina———
South Dakota———
Tennessee———
Utah———
Vermont———
Washington———
Wisconsin———
Wyoming———

Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the boys 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 Alva
Momentum · boys
Falling
  • 1,708 spots since 2024 (#8,987 → #10,695)
  • 3,193 spots since 2020 (#7,502 → #10,695)
  • 51 spots since 2015 (#10,644 → #10,695)
  • Biggest jump: 143 spots in 1952 (#857 → #714)
  • Biggest drop: 175 spots in 1953 (#714 → #889)
Rise & fade · boys
2 yrs to peak
  • Debuted 1880
  • Peaked 1882 at #161 (85 births)
  • Births halved by 1908, 26 yrs later
Top of the charts · boys
Top 1,000 for 81 yrs
  • Top 10: never
  • Top 100: never
  • Top 1,000: 81 yrs · run 1880–1957
Share of babies · boys
1 in 1,337
  • Highest: 1 in 1,337 boys born in 1882 were named Alva (0.07%)
  • Latest: 1 in 284,679 boys born in 2025 (0.00%)
Era · boys
The 1920s
  • 22.6% of all boys named Alva (2,551) were born in this decade
Girls or boys?
Flipped in 2000
  • Mostly boys until 1999, mostly girls since
all girlsall boys
Show by decade
DecadeBirthsBest rankAvg rank
1880s663#161 (1882)#195
1890s689#188 (1891)#203
1900s575#228 (1901)#267
1910s1,978#294 (1917)#329
1920s2,551#351 (1921)#372
1930s1,681#385 (1931)#439
1940s1,216#497 (1940)#574
1950s717#695 (1950)#875
1960s479#950 (1961)#1,113
1970s292#1,354 (1973)#1,741
1980s158#2,058 (1980)#3,161
1990s104#4,052 (1995)#5,480
2000s52#5,920 (2000)#9,099
2010s65#6,338 (2017)#9,272
2020s49#7,502 (2020)#9,139

All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 boys in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.

Alva in 1931

girls
#568
135 births · 1 in 7,887 girls
boys
#385
213 births · 1 in 4,881 boys

Top girls' names in 1931

  1. #1Mary60,299
  2. #2Betty36,105
  3. #3Dorothy26,524
  4. #4Barbara21,804
  5. #5Joan19,119
  6. #6Helen17,664
  7. #7Margaret17,332
  8. #8Patricia16,469
  9. #9Shirley14,405
  10. #10Doris13,629
  11. #568Alva135

Top boys' names in 1931

  1. #1Robert60,519
  2. #2James51,212
  3. #3John48,423
  4. #4William43,280
  5. #5Richard31,822
  6. #6Charles29,934
  7. #7Donald29,100
  8. #8George20,685
  9. #9Joseph19,326
  10. #10Thomas16,847
  11. #385Alva213
More about 1931

girls

1,064,728 girls got a published name in 1931; 1 in 7,887 of them was named Alva, which outranked 88.6% of the 4,979 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 22.9% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Alva
  1. #561Margret136
  2. #561Vada136
  3. #561Valeria136
  4. #568Alva135
  5. #568Tillie135
  6. #570Gertie134
  7. #570Juana134
  8. #572Francisca133

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

Biggest movers since 1930
Risers
  1. ↑ 857Joretta#1,320 → #463
  2. ↑ 519Joetta#1,460 → #941
  3. ↑ 483Sondra#1,031 → #548
  4. ↑ 465Celine#1,460 → #995
  5. ↑ 343Lynne#1,274 → #931
Fallers
  1. ↓ 377Margo#937 → #1,314
  2. ↓ 349Rachael#894 → #1,243
  3. ↓ 317Evelyne#926 → #1,243
  4. ↓ 287Vivien#971 → #1,258
  5. ↓ 283Ardeth#629 → #912

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

boys

1,039,665 boys got a published name in 1931; 1 in 4,881 of them was named Alva, which outranked 91.1% of the 4,321 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 33.8% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Alva
  1. #381Stewart216
  2. #383Adrian214
  3. #383Jake214
  4. #385Alva213
  5. #385Eric213
  6. #385Vito213
  7. #388Gabriel209
  8. #388Randall209
  9. #390Bud208

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

Biggest movers since 1930
Risers
  1. ↑ 794Kenton#1,753 → #959
  2. ↑ 420Wyman#1,330 → #910
  3. ↑ 408Jan#1,330 → #922
  4. ↑ 402Leopold#1,399 → #997
  5. ↑ 398Odie#1,299 → #901
Fallers
  1. ↓ 513Artie#976 → #1,489
  2. ↓ 469Arnulfo#892 → #1,361
  3. ↓ 385Rose#832 → #1,217
  4. ↓ 357Ransom#976 → #1,333
  5. ↓ 343Jodie#990 → #1,333

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

See the top 100 for 1931 →