Given name & surname · also German
Alda
“long-lived, old; wise; an elder”
Alda is used as a given name and a surname. One German and Spanish interpretation is “long-lived, old; wise; an elder.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One German and Spanish interpretation is “long-lived, old; wise; an elder.”
Where it comes from
This spelling has been associated with German and Spanish naming traditions.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Alda through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 4,976
- 10 boys · 4,966 girls
- Most popular year
- 1918
- 191 babies
- 2025
- 0
- Outside the ranked list
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- —
- Too few births to compare
By the numbers
The most recent published U.S. birth count for girls is 6 in 2023. Later missing counts do not mean the name went unused. Its largest published annual count for girls was 191 in 1918. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 2,554 as a first name in 2020; 176 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Alda’s family of names
In Italian usage, Alda shares a linguistic root with the French form Aude. Alda has a related form in Aldona. Alda has a related form in Aldina.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 10
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Aldonavariant
- Aldenevariant
- Aldinavariant
- Aldinevariant
- Aldahvariant
- Ealdavariant · Old English
- Alldahvariant
- Alldavariant
Show 2 moreShow fewer
Across languages 4
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 1
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Alda
- Alda MeriniItalian writer and poet (1931-2009)
- Alda Neves do Espírito Santopoet and politician from Sao Tome and Principe (1926-2010)
- Alda LaraAngolan poet (1930–1962)
- Alda BandeiraSão Tomé and Príncipe politicianborn 1949
- Alda MagyariHungarian water polo playerborn 2000
- Alda BorelliItalian actress (1879–1964)
- Alda TeodoraniItalian writerborn 1968
- Alda GrimaldiItalian actress, screenwriter and film director (1919-2023)
- Alda NoniItalian opera singer and actress (1916–2011)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Alda, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Alvera
“guardian of all; speaker of the truth” · “guardian of all”
>99% girls
Albertine
“noble and bright”
>99% girls
Alberta
“noble and bright” · “one who is noble and bright”
>99% girls
Avis
Avis is a variant of Ava. A secure original meaning for Ava has not been established.
25% boys · 75% girls
Elma
“having God's protection”
>99% girls
Adell
Adell is a unisex given name from Proto-Germanic.
>99% girls
Esta
“woman from the East”
>99% girls
Laurine
“laurel”
>99% girls