Total births
7,188
Unisex name · since 1880
Alpha
Alpha has 7,188 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1916 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #15294
- among girls today
- 7,188
- born since 1880
- 1910s
- peak decade
- 14%
- more common than other girls
7,188 babies have been named Alpha since 1880, making it today's #15294 unisex name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Alpha has been recorded 7,188 times among girls since 1880, currently ranked #15294 nationally and more common than 14% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 1910s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #15294 among girls today
- 7,188 born since 1880
- 1910s peak decade
- 14% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Alpha is currently the #15294 unisex name in America, more common than 14% of girls - 7,188 born since 1880, peaking in the 1910s.
- #15294
- among girls today
- 7,188
- born since 1880
- 1910s
- peak decade
- 14%
- more common than other girls
Alpha vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#15294
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 14% of names given to girls today.
1910s
Peak decade
21% of everyone ever named Alpha was born in this single decade.
1916
Single peak year
198 babies were named Alpha in 1916 - its busiest year on record.
How Alpha compares
7,188 Top 11% higher than 89% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Alpha's all-time total is 19x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Alpha | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 7,188 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 198 | 48 | 19,840 |
Alpha's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Alpha's full recorded timeline at 1947, 14% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 86% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1982, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1916 peak of 198 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Alpha at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1916
Current rank
#15,294
Active since
1880
Alpha popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1916)
- 198
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Alpha popularity over time - boys
2,857 total births recorded since 1880 (Alpha as boys' name)
Alpha by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1910s was Alpha's strongest decade.
1,537 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 21% of all-time use.
Alpha births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 361
1880s
361 births
- 1890s
1890s
704 births
- 1900s
1900s
828 births
- 1910s
1910s
1,537 births
- 1920s
1920s
1,494 births
- 1930s
1930s
837 births
- 1940s 540
1940s
540 births
- 1950s 276
1950s
276 births
- 1960s 150
1960s
150 births
- 1970s 133
1970s
133 births
- 1980s 90
1980s
90 births
- 1990s 95
1990s
95 births
- 2000s 57
2000s
57 births
- 2010s 42
2010s
42 births
- 2020s 44
2020s
44 births
What this shows Peak: 1910s at 1,537 births (21% of all-time use).
How Alpha compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Alpha's total volume
Alpha vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Alpha by state
Where Alpha concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Kentucky | | 542 | 7.5% |
| #2 | Texas | | 505 | 7.0% |
| #3 | Oklahoma | | 327 | 4.5% |
| #4 | Missouri | | 277 | 3.9% |
| #5 | Arkansas | | 194 | 2.7% |
| #6 | Virginia | | 182 | 2.5% |
| #7 | Tennessee | | 163 | 2.3% |
| #8 | Alabama | | 122 | 1.7% |
Kentucky share of Alpha's total US births 7.5%
Even split
542 of 7,188 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 26 reporting states.
Alpha appears in 26 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Alpha? ▼
7,188 babies have been named Alpha since 1880. It currently ranks #15294 among girls. The peak year was 1916 with 198 births.
When was Alpha most popular? ▼
Alpha was most popular in the 1910s decade with 1,537 total births. The single peak year was 1916.
Where is Alpha most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Alpha are Kentucky (542 births), Texas (505 births), Oklahoma (327 births).
Is Alpha a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Alpha is used for both boys and girls. As a girl's name it has 7,188 births, and as a boy's name it has 2,857 births.
How long has the name Alpha been used? ▼
Alpha has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 146 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Alpha? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Alphia, Alphonsine, Alpa, Alphonso, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Alpha's data
- Alpha's decade-level peak was the 1910s (1,537 total births); usage has since declined to 44 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Kentucky records the most Alphas (542 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Kentucky names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Alpha
Nearby Names Like Alpha
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Alpha
Alphia Girl
242 births
Alphonsine Girl
86 births
Alpa Girl
76 births
Alphonso Girl
27 births
Alphild Girl
17 births
Compare Alpha side by side: Alpha vs Alphia Alpha vs Alphonsine Alpha vs Alpa
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Alpha
Virgie #15293
21,800 births · Peak 1918
Idella #15295
6,554 births · Peak 1921
Znylah #15292
6 births · Peak 2024
Vesta #15296
8,181 births · Peak 1918
Zissi #15291
6 births · Peak 2024
Annetta #15297
8,814 births · Peak 1941
Zinniah #15290
6 births · Peak 2024
Elizebeth #15298
4,603 births · Peak 1928
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Alpha: #15294 Unisex Name - 7,188 Births, Peak 1916." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/alpha. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Alpha draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.