Given name & surname
Alpha
Alpha is used as a given name and a surname. One Greek interpretation is “the firstborn child; the first letter of the Greek alphabet.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One Greek interpretation is “the firstborn child; the first letter of the Greek alphabet.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Greek.
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
Alpha through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 10,045
- 2,857 boys · 7,188 girls
- Most popular year
- 1917
- 230 babies
- 2025
- 77
- #2,079 for boys · #13,298 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +4%
- Steady
Boys, girls and both
The balance of boys and girls given this name has shifted over time. Recent births are 89% boys.
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 71 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 2,079 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 4.7% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. It also appeared in 6 birth records for girls in 2025. In 2025, New York had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (22). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 4,116 as a first name in 2020; 499 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.
Alpha’s family of names
Alpha has an alternative spelling in Alfa. Alpha has a related form in Alfa. Alpha has a related form in Alfah.
The ring: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 3
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
See also 1
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Alpha
- Alpha CondéPresident of Guinea from 2010 to 2021born 1938
- Alpha Oumar KonaréPresident of Mali (1992 to 2002)born 1946
- Black MFrench-Guinean rapper and singer-songwriterborn 1984
- Alpha Oumar DjaloFrench judokaborn 1996
- Alpha KabaFrench basketball playerborn 1996
- Alpha Barrypolitician from Burkina Fasoborn 1970
- Alpha DiounkouSenegalese association football playerborn 2001
- Alpha FemaleGerman professional wrestler and mixed martial artistborn 1982
- Alpha Acostaactressborn 1973
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Alpha, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Isidore
“a gift of Isis”
>99% boys
Odell
“a sweet melody” · “one who is wealthy”
98% boys · 2% girls
Cyril
“a master or lord”
>99% boys
Giles
“resembling a young goal”
>99% boys
Eugene
“a wellborn man”
>99% boys
Cleon
“a well-known man”
>99% boys
Christ
“[the] anointed [one]”
98% boys · 2% girls
Porfirio
“refers to a purple coloring”
>99% boys