Alma

At a Glance

Meaning

Nourishing, kind

Origin

Latin (disputed)

Gender

Girl

Pronunciation

AL-muhListen

Alma is a girl's name with an old-fashioned warmth that still feels easy to wear today, pronounced AL-muh. Many people assume it means "soul" from the Spanish or Italian word alma, but that's a mix-up with an unrelated word — the name Alma actually comes from Latin almus/alma, meaning "nourishing, kind," with Spanish/Italian alma tracing back separately to Latin anima. It's a name with real depth once you look past the popular mix-up.

Meaning & Origin of Alma

Meaning: Nourishing, kind.

Origin: Latin (disputed).

A common claim: Alma is widely believed to mean 'soul,' from the Spanish/Italian word alma. Actually: That's a folk conflation with an unrelated word — Spanish/Italian alma ('soul') comes from Latin anima, while the name Alma traces instead to Latin almus/alma, 'nourishing, kind.'

Source: Wiktionary, Wikipedia.

How to Pronounce Alma

Popularity of Alma

Alma has been given to American baby girls since at least 1880, and it once ranked as high as #51 back in 1896, with 1,243 babies given the name that year. It's far rarer now, sitting at #472 in 2024 with 653 babies — still very much in use, just at a quieter level.

Names Like Alma

These names share Alma’s style, era or origin.

• Beata
• Cecelia
• Gloria
• Grace
• Lilian
• Norah

FAQ

What does the name Alma mean?

Nourishing, kind. (Source: Wiktionary)

How do you pronounce Alma?

Alma is pronounced AL-muh (IPA: /ˈælmə/).

Is Alma a popular name right now?

Alma peaked at #51 in 1896 and is ranked #472 as of 2024. (U.S. Social Security Administration data, 1880–2024.)

Make Alma Name Art

Free printable nursery art for Alma, pre-loaded below — pick a layout, palette, and font, then download a print-ready PNG.