Alma (given name)

Origin

The exact origin of the name Alma is debated, but it is most likely derived, in the female form, from the Latin word almus, which means "kind", "fostering", or "nourishing". It has been most familiarized by its use in the term alma mater, which means "fostering mother", or "nourishing mother", and in modern times is most associated with a collegiate hymn or song, or to encompass the years in which a student earned their degree. Also, the Arabic word for "the water" and "on the water" are el-ma and al-ma, respectively. It may also be of Greek derivation, where the word αλμη means "salt water".

Early appearances

It has been applied repeatedly for the title of goddesses, namely Diana and Ceres, as well as other deities of the light, earth, and day. Alma was used classically in connotation as a way to reflect the traditional female roles in providing nurture, following its derivation from its Latin root. It was introduced with minimal usage during the Italian Renaissance, as the likely result of a character by Edmund Spenser in his poem "The Faerie Queene". Alma, who is the head of the House of Temperance, is considered to parallel the spirit metaphorically.

On 20 September 1854 the Battle of Alma, named after the Alma River nearby, which was a war between the French, English, and Ottoman empires and the Russian empire was fought and ended. This battle is typically considered to be the first battle of the Crimean War. Alma is the Crimean Tatar word for "apple". The name had limited use for females prior to the war, and afterwards it began appearing in birth registers for both male and female, and in significantly higher frequency. Alma also came in conjunction with many terms related to the circumstances of the war, such as "Alma Victoria", "Alma Balaklava" and "Alma Inkerman". Primarily in West England, many were christened with the name Alma. The widespread use has been attributed to the extensive news coverage of the Crimean War.

The Book of Alma, a part of The Book of Mormon features two men named Alma: a father and a son who are both prophets. Critics have found humor in the texts use of the name in the masculine form, primarily because it was historically used in religious texts as a feminine title and name.

The name Alma also appears in Irish folklore in the masculine form: the son of Nemed was named "Alma One-Tooth", a noble prince who fought repeatedly for a respite in taxes issued by Conann on his people.

Name statistics

Alma reached its highest popularity of usage in the year 1901, when it ranked No. 52 of most popular names. In birth registers, this constituted .47% of the population, or roughly 1 in every 213 births. Its usage today has dropped into the thousands.

In numerology, the name Alma corresponds to the number 9. The characteristics of this value mean compassion, charitableness, and civility; it is regarded as being the "Humanitarian".

Meaning

The name Alma, with its Latin origin, appears in various European languages, and has different meanings in each. These varieties do not generally stray from the notion of the wise, nurturing mother, however.

Arabic • Woman with beautiful lips, The Unbelievable but True

Aramaic • World

Gothic • Working One, Brave One, also short form of names starting with 'Amal-' and Member of the Amals

Greek  • Salt Water

Hebrew • Young girl

Hungarian • Apple

Italian • The Spirit Soul

Kazakh Language • Apple

Kyrgyz Language • Apple- Алма

Latin • The Nourishing One, Gentle, Loving, Bounteous One and The Spiritually Supportive One

Mongolian • Wild Man (Yeti-like creature)

Spanish • The Spirit Soul

Turkish Language • Apple

In the Hebrew Bible, Almah means young girl or young woman. In the Septuagint, the word is often rendered as parthenos ('virgin'), most famously in Isaiah 7:14, which is quoted in Matthew 1:23 as a prophecy about Jesus being born of the Virgin Mary.

Women

Alma Adams (born 1946), American politician and educator

Alma Alexander (born 1965), American writer

Alma Allen, Danish resistance member

Alma Allen, American politician

Alma Allen (born 1970), American sculptor

Alma Åkermark (1853–1933), Swedish feminist

Alma Bella (1910–2012), Filipino actress

Alma Beltran (1919–2007), Mexican film actress

Alma Bennett (1914–1958), American film actress

Alma Birk (1917–1996), British journalist and politician

Alma Čardžić (born 1968), Bosnian singer

Alma Carlisle (born 1927), American architect

Alma Cogan (1932–1966), English singer

Alma Cook (Alma; born 1991), American singer

Alma Delfina (born 1954), Mexican actress

Alma Denny (1906–2003), American columnist

Alma Deutscher (born 2005), English composer and musician

Alma Evans-Freke (born 1931), New Zealand television personality

Alma Fahlstrøm (1863–1946), Norwegian theatre actress, director and manager

Alma Delia Fuentes (born 1937), Mexican actress

Alma Galarza, Puerto Rican singer

Alma Garcia (born 1970), American writer

Alma Gluck (1884–1938), American opera singer

Alma Guillermoprieto (born 1949), Mexican journalist

Alma Hanlon (1890–1977), American film actress

Alma Hinding (1882–1981), Danish film actress

Alma Hjelt (1853-1097), Finnish women's rights activist

Alma Hunt (1909–2008), American religious leader

Alma Hunt (1910–1999), Bermudian and Scottish cricketer

Alma Jodorowsky (born 1991), French actress, model and singer

Alma Kar (1908–1992), Polish actress

Alma Karlin (1889–1950), Slovene-Austrian author

Alma Kruger (1868/1871–1960), American actress

Alma Mahler (1879–1964), Austrian socialite and composer

Alma Martínez (footballer) (born 1981), Mexican footballer

Alma Martinez (actress) (born 1953), American actress

Alma McClelland (1921–2000), American poker player

Alma Moodie (1898–1943), Australian violinist

Alma Moreno (born 1959), Filipina actress and politician

Alma Muriel (1951–2014), Mexican actress

Alma Murray (1854–1945), English actress

Alma Pihl (1888–1976), Finnish jeweller

Alma Powell (born 1937), American audiologist

Alma Prica (born 1962), Croatian actress

Alma Qeramixhi (born 1963), Albanian heptathlete

Alma Redlinger (born 1924), Romanian painter

Alma Reville (1899–1982), English film director, screenwriter and editor, wife of Alfred Hitchcock

Alma Rosé (1906–1944), Austrian violinist

Alma Rubens (1897–1931), American actress

Alma Söderhjelm (1870–1949), Swedish-Finnish historian

Alma de Bretteville Spreckels (1881–1968), American socialite and art collector

Alma G. Stallworth, American politician

Alma Taylor (1895–1974), British actress

Alma Thomas (1891–1978), American painter

Alma Vītola (born 1992), Latvian long distance runner

Alma Vogt (born 1925), Australian cricket player

Alma Wagen (1878–1967), American mountain climber

Alma Bridwell White (1862–1946), American religious leader

Men

Alma Richards (1890–1963), American high jumper

Alma Sonne (1884–1977), American Mormon general authority

Alma O. Taylor (1882–1947), American missionary and translator

Fictional characters

Alma Beoulve, in the video game Final Fantasy Tactics

Alma Coin, in the novel Mockingjay

Alma Gutierrez, in the American television series The Wire

Alma Halliwell, in the soap opera Coronation Street

Alma Hodge, in the soap opera Desperate Housewives

Alma Jinnai, in the Japanese anime Jewelpet Tinkle - see List of Jewelpet Twinkle episodes

Alma Montemayor, protagonist of Porque el amor manda

Alma Singer, in the novel The History of Love

Alma Wade, an antagonist from the game F.E.A.R.

Alma Walker, in the television series American Horror Story: Asylum

Alma Winemiller, protagonist of Tennessee Williams' play Summer and Smoke

Alma, main character in Ingmar Bergman's 1966 film Persona

Alma, a Greater Fiend from the video game Ninja Gaiden

In language

Alumit • English, Hebrew.

Amalia • Hebrew, German, Scandinavian, Czech, Hungarian, Italian

Almeta, Almetta • African American.

Aimu (阿 爾 馬) • Chinese.

Nicknames

Almacita

Almita

Allie

Almalito

Almi

Almeezy

Almizle

Ali

Alloom (In Arabic)

Allooma (In Arabic)

Abbreviations for

Amelia • English

Amelberga • English.