Baby Names US
Unisex name ★ peaked 1917

Alva

Meaning Alva is a male given name Gender Unisex · 44% girls Rank 2025 #10,762 Trend → Stable

Alva is a male given name.

Rank 2025
#10,762
among boys · ↓1,733 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
28
named Alva · -28% vs 2024
How common
1 in 284,679
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1917
478 babies
All-time total
20,158
#1,123 all-time among boys
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Alva popularity over time

20,158 babies have been named Alva since 1880, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.250.50.75118801900192019401960198020002020GirlsBoys
BoysGirls

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s 182 663 845 85 – #162
1890s 475 689 1,164 116 +38% #188
1900s 604 575 1,179 118 +1% #228
1910s 1,404 1,978 3,382 338 +187% #294
1920s 1,591 2,551 4,142 414 +22% #351
1930s 1,185 1,681 2,866 287 -31% #385
1940s 875 1,216 2,091 209 -27% #497
1950s 797 717 1,514 151 -28% #695
1960s 519 479 998 100 -34% #950
1970s 316 292 608 61 -39% #1,355
1980s 279 158 437 44 -28% #2,059
1990s 157 104 261 26 -40% #4,061
2000s 132 52 184 18 -30% #5,936
2010s 197 65 262 26 +42% #6,349
2020s (to 2025) 176 49 225 38 +43% #7,524

The story of Alva

Alva is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #10,762 in 2025 with 6 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 20,158 American babies have been named Alva, about 56% boys and 44% girls, making it a genuinely unisex name. Its peak came in 1917, when 478 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1910s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Alva stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Alva?

The median living Alva is about 67 years old; half are between 48 and 79. An estimated 5,800 people named Alva are alive in the United States today.

median 67 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Alva year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 22 #5,567 6 #10,762
2024 31 #4,480 8 #9,029
2023 24 #5,256 10 #7,775
2022 29 #4,677 10 #7,789
2021 29 #4,621 5 #12,237
2020 41 #3,616 10 #7,524
2019 32 #4,351 5 #12,233
2018 28 #4,775 10 #7,649
2017 21 #5,835 13 #6,349
2016 27 #4,999 11 #7,170
2015 19 #6,473 6 #10,720
2014 12 #9,010 6 #10,778
2013 14 #8,168 8 #8,835
2012 14 #8,231 – –
2011 13 #8,653 – –
2010 17 #7,236 6 #10,831
2009 12 #9,409 – –
2008 15 #8,128 6 #11,106
2007 14 #8,547 10 #7,619
2006 5 #17,325 – –
2005 13 #8,360 5 #11,543
2004 17 #6,789 9 #7,559
2003 17 #6,597 5 #10,962
2002 13 #7,849 – –
2001 8 #11,076 6 #9,292
2000 18 #5,950 11 #5,936
1995 12 #7,069 15 #4,061
1990 26 #3,910 12 #4,415
1985 35 #2,706 13 #3,405
1980 36 #2,605 26 #2,059
1975 31 #2,518 26 #1,836
1970 48 #1,828 35 #1,416
1965 53 #1,529 44 #1,129
1960 59 #1,430 60 #983
1955 98 #1,010 82 #807
1950 80 #1,018 97 #695
1945 67 #926 115 #558
1940 98 #702 137 #497
1935 116 #604 146 #470
1930 120 #631 208 #402
1925 154 #580 239 #388
1920 173 #541 278 #353
1915 146 #518 262 #324
1910 80 #445 61 #317
1905 58 #442 57 #263
1900 67 #408 73 #237
1895 61 #357 74 #197
1890 35 #429 68 #194
1885 17 #522 46 #243
1880 17 #404 70 #180

Famous people named Alva

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Alva Myrdal Alva Myrdal Swedish sociologist and politician (1902–1986) Contemporary
  2. 2 Alva Noto German musician and visual artist b. 1965 · Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Alva, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Alva?

The median living Alva is about 67 years old. Half of all living Alvas are between 48 and 79 years old.

How many people named Alva are alive today?

An estimated 5,800 people named Alva are alive in the United States, based on 20,158 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Alva mean?

Alva is a male given name.

How popular is the name Alva in 2025?

Alva ranked #10,762 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 6 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Alva?

20,158 babies have been named Alva in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Alva most popular?

Alva peaked in 1917, when 478 newborns received the name.

Is Alva a boy or girl name?

Alva is used for both: about 44% of babies named Alva have been girls and 56% boys.

Is the name Alva rising or falling?

Alva is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Who are famous people named Alva?

Well-known people named Alva include Alva Myrdal (diplomat), Alva Noto (musician).

Names like Alva

Names that sound and feel close to Alva: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Alva with similar names → More names starting with A →