Alva
Gender-neutral name · German · Hebrew · Latin · Scandinavian · Spanish
- US rank
- #5,554
- Syllables
- 2
- Peak
- #334 in 1896
22 babies were named Alva in the US in 2025. It has dropped 1,947 places in five years.
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US births per million girls, 1880–2025
US births per million boys, 1880–2025
Popularity: U.S. Social Security Administration (babies with 5+ births per year).
Did you know?
A few things about Alva you might not know, from US birth records. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.
- How commonAbout 1 in every 72,993 baby girls born in the US in 2025 was named Alva, 22 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Alva would very likely be the only one.
- HistoryAlva has been in use since at least 1880, the first year US birth records were kept. That's 145 years of Alvas, and counting.
- Best yearIt was far more popular in 1896, when it ranked #334. Today it's #5,554, so it could be due a comeback.
- TrendAlva has slipped 1,947 places over the last five years and now sits at #5,554. Good news if you want a familiar name that fewer kids will share.
- Boy or girlAlva is given to both boys and girls: 79% of the 28 babies named Alva in 2025 were girls. That makes it one of the names that truly works for either.
About the name Alva
Alva is a gender-neutral name of German, Hebrew and Latin origin. It has 4 letters and 2 syllables, starting with A and ending in “-lva”. US birth records list Alva for girls from 1880 to 2025, in 146 of those 146 years. Its best year was 1896, when it ranked #334 among girl names. In 2025 it ranked #5,554, with 22 babies. Of the 28 US babies named Alva in 2025, 79% were girls and 21% were boys.
Origin:German namesHebrew namesLatin namesScandinavian namesSpanish names
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 137 | 7,317 girls |
| 1890s | 211 | 4,736 girls |
| 1900s | 206 | 4,844 girls |
| 1910s | 180 | 5,557 girls |
| 1920s | 133 | 7,519 girls |
| 1930s | 111 | 8,988 girls |
| 1940s | 62 | 16,176 girls |
| 1950s | 42 | 24,021 girls |
| 1960s | 28 | 35,373 girls |
| 1970s | 20 | 49,188 girls |
| 1980s | 16 | 61,614 girls |
| 1990s | 8.6 | 115,741 girls |
| 2000s | 7.1 | 140,056 girls |
| 2010s | 11 | 88,339 girls |
| 2020s | 18 | 55,249 girls |
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 606 | 1,651 boys |
| 1890s | 605 | 1,654 boys |
| 1900s | 429 | 2,330 boys |
| 1910s | 297 | 3,365 boys |
| 1920s | 232 | 4,317 boys |
| 1930s | 159 | 6,279 boys |
| 1940s | 84 | 11,945 boys |
| 1950s | 36 | 27,855 boys |
| 1960s | 25 | 40,486 boys |
| 1970s | 18 | 56,497 boys |
| 1980s | 8.6 | 116,550 boys |
| 1990s | 5.3 | 187,266 boys |
| 2000s | 2.6 | 386,100 boys |
| 2010s | 3.5 | 289,017 boys |
| 2020s | 4.7 | 212,014 boys |
Other spellings of Alva
More German names
- Boy name: Liam · resolute protector
- Girl name: Charlotte · free
- Girl name: Emma · whole, universal
- Girl name: Amelia · work, industrious
- Girl name: Evelyn · possibly desired
- Girl name: Ellie · possibly light
- Unisex name: Avery · elf counsel
- Unisex name: Miles · possibly gracious
Questions about the name Alva
What is the origin of the name Alva?
Alva has German, Hebrew, Latin, Scandinavian, Spanish roots in our records. Other German names include Liam, Charlotte, Emma.
Is Alva a boy or girl name?
Both. Alva is used for boys and girls: in 2025, 79% of US babies named Alva were girls.
How popular is the name Alva?
Alva ranked #5,554 for US girls in 2025, given to 22 babies. Its best year was 1896 (#334).