Alpha
Alpha is a unisex given name. Notable people named Alpha include:Alpha Acosta, Mexican actress Alpha Bâ, Senegalese footballer Alpha Bangura, American-Sierra Leone basketball player Alpha Barry, Burkinabé politician and journalist Alpha Blondy, reggae singer and international recording artist Alpha L.
Meaning & Origin of Alpha
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Alpha is a unisex given name. Notable people named Alpha include:Alpha Acosta, Mexican actress Alpha Bâ, Senegalese footballer Alpha Bangura, American-Sierra Leone basketball player Alpha Barry, Burkinabé politician and journalist Alpha Blondy, reggae singer and international recording artist Alpha L.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Alpha
As a girl name
Alpha first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1880, with 26 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1916, when 198 Alphas were born — ranking #451 that year. As of 2026, Alpha ranks #15,243 for girls with 5 births, falling sharply (-28%). In total, more than 7K Alphas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Alpha first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1880, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2024, when 74 Alphas were born — ranking #2,037 that year. As of 2026, Alpha ranks #2,155 for boys with 69 births, gradually rising (+15%). In total, more than 3K Alphas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Alpha
Phonetically similar names — useful when Alpha is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Alpha
What does the name Alpha mean?
How popular is Alpha in 2026?
When was Alpha most popular?
In which U.S. states is Alpha most popular?
Is Alpha a unisex name?
What names go well with Alpha?
About the name Alpha
Alpha is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 7K births in the dataset. Alpha's peak popularity came in 1916 when it ranked #451. Use the chart and map above to compare Alpha's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1916 →
- Names of the 1910s →
- Names starting with "A" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.