Alula
The alula, or bastard wing, is a small projection on the anterior edge of the wing of modern birds and a few non-avian dinosaurs. The word is Latin and means "winglet"; it is the diminutive of ala, meaning "wing". The alula is the freely moving first digit, a bird's "thumb", and typically bears three to five small flight feathers, with the exact number depending on the species.
Meaning & Origin of Alula
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
The alula, or bastard wing, is a small projection on the anterior edge of the wing of modern birds and a few non-avian dinosaurs. The word is Latin and means "winglet"; it is the diminutive of ala, meaning "wing". The alula is the freely moving first digit, a bird's "thumb", and typically bears three to five small flight feathers, with the exact number depending on the species.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Alula
As a girl name
Alula first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 2018, with 7 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2020, when 17 Alulas were born — ranking #6,626 that year. As of 2026, Alula ranks #11,069 for girls with 8 births, with steady use. In total, more than 47 Alulas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 2010s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Alula first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1994, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2021, when 9 Alulas were born — ranking #8,161 that year. As of 2026, Alula ranks #8,294 for boys with 9 births, with steady use. In total, more than 34 Alulas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1990s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Alula
Phonetically similar names — useful when Alula 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 Alula
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About the name Alula
Alula is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 2018 and has accumulated 47 births in the dataset. Alula's peak popularity came in 2020 when it ranked #6,626. Use the chart and map above to compare Alula's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2020 →
- Names of the 2020s →
- 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.