Alpha
How to say it: AL-fuh · /ˈælfə/
Greek first letter of alphabet, meaning 'beginning' - rare word-name connoting leadership and primacy.
Alpha was the 1,672nd most popular boys’ name in the United States in 2025, given to 71 babies (Social Security Administration). Its busiest decade was the 1880s, its births are up about 58% in ten years, and it is projected to rise to #1,534 by 2030.
Updated · SSA 2025 data, published May 2026 · Insee 2025 data, published July 2026 · How we compute these figures
Key facts
| Rank among boys’ names, 2025 | #1,672 |
|---|---|
| Babies born in 2025 | 71 |
| Share of births | 1 in 46,694 |
| Peak decade | 1880s |
| Change over 10 years | +58% |
| Projected rank for 2030 (estimate) | #1,534 |
| In France, 2025 | #447 among boys’ names, 95 births |
Sources: Social Security Administration (SSA), Insee (France). How we compute these figures.
Its life, decade by decade
Alpha peaked in the 1880s, nearly vanished by the 1960s, and has come back.
What goes with it
In the classroom
In a class of 25 children born in 2025, the chance that another child is called Alpha is about under 1 in 200.
Around the world
This spelling is used in English, French, Greek.
In France: #447 for boys in 2025.
Famous people named Alpha
- Alpha Condé (born 1938)President of Guinea from 2010 to 2021
- Alpha Oumar Konaré (born 1946)President of Mali (1992 to 2002)
- Alpha Oumar Djalo (born 1996)French judoka
From Wikidata and Wikipedia
Good to know
- Alpha reads as the slang term for a dominant, hyper-masculine man (alpha male)
Keep exploring
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