How popular is the baby name Alda in the United States right now? How popular was it historically? Use the popularity graph and data table below to find out! Plus, see all the blog posts that mention the name Alda.

The graph will take a few moments to load. (Don't worry, it shouldn't take 9 months!) If it's taking too long, try reloading the page.


Popularity of the baby name Alda


Posts that mention the name Alda

Babies named for Elbridge Gerry

American politician Elbridge Gerry (1744-1814)
Elbridge Gerry

When you think of politician Elbridge Gerry (1744-1814), what comes to mind?

Probably the political portmanteau gerrymander, which was mockingly coined by a newspaper cartoonist in 1812.

But Gerry was one of the founding fathers of the United States.

He signed both the Declaration of Independence and the Articles of Confederation. He refused to sign the Constitution, though, because it didn’t include a Bill of Rights. He promptly helped draft and pass a Bill of Rights (i.e., the first ten amendments) while serving as a member of the inaugural House of Representatives.

He went on to serve as the eighth governor of Massachusetts (1810-1812), and died while in office as the fifth vice president of the United States (1813-1814) under James Madison.

Hundreds of baby boys were named after Elbridge Gerry. Most were born in Gerry’s home state of Massachusetts. The rest came from nearby states, particularly Maine (which was part of Massachusetts from the 1650s to 1820). Some examples…

My favorite namesake, a Mainer named Elbridge Gerry Berry, wasn’t born until 1822.

P.S. Elbridge Gerry is to gerrymandering as Ambrose Burnside is to sideburns…

Sources: Elbridge Gerry – Wikipedia, FamilySearch.org, Find a Grave
Image: Elbridge Gerry (1861) by James Bogle

Popular baby names in the Faroe Islands, 2021

Flag of the Faroe Islands
Flag of the Faroe Islands

The Faroe Islands, which are part of the kingdom of Denmark, are a North Atlantic archipelago located between Iceland and Scotland‘s Shetland Islands.

Last year, the Faroes welcomed 683 babies — 327 girls and 356 boys.

What were the most popular names among these babies? Lea/Lív (tie) and Jónas.

Here are the Faroe Islands’ top 20+ girl names and top 30+ boy names of 2021:

Girl Names

  1. Lea, 7 baby girls (tie)
  2. Lív, 7 (tie)
  3. Emma, 5 (4-way tie)
  4. Julia, 5 (4-way tie)
  5. Ria, 5 (4-way tie)
  6. Sólja, 5 (4-way tie)
  7. Hjørdis, 4 (6-way tie)
  8. Isabella, 4 (6-way tie)
  9. Nora, 4 (6-way tie)
  10. Ronja, 4 (6-way tie)
  11. Sofía, 4 (6-way tie)
  12. Vár, 4 (6-way tie)
  13. Alda, 3 (13-way tie)
  14. Amalia, 3 (13-way tie)
  15. Ann, 3 (13-way tie)
  16. Anna, 3 (13-way tie)
  17. Bára, 3 (13-way tie)
  18. Eva, 3 (13-way tie)
  19. Eyð, 3 (13-way tie)
  20. Joan, 3 (13-way tie)
  21. Klara, 3 (13-way tie)
  22. Liva, 3 (13-way tie)
  23. Maria, 3 (13-way tie)
  24. Olivia, 3 (13-way tie)
  25. Petra, 3 (13-way tie)

Boy Names

  1. Jónas, 10 baby boys
  2. Nóa, 9
  3. Andrias, 6 (4-way tie)
  4. Jógvan, 6 (4-way tie)
  5. Markus, 6 (4-way tie)
  6. Mattias, 6 (4-way tie)
  7. Adrian, 5 (4-way tie)
  8. Gilli, 5 (4-way tie)
  9. Jákup, 5 (4-way tie)
  10. Tróndur, 5 (4-way tie)
  11. Bragi, 4 (9-way tie)
  12. Brandur, 4 (9-way tie)
  13. Brimir, 4 (9-way tie)
  14. Hjalti, 4 (9-way tie)
  15. Jóhan, 4 (9-way tie)
  16. Liam, 4 (9-way tie)
  17. Ólavur, 4 (9-way tie)
  18. Óli, 4 (9-way tie)
  19. Ragnar, 4 (9-way tie)
  20. Áki, 3 (14-way tie)
  21. Benjamin, 3 (14-way tie)
  22. Dávid, 3 (14-way tie)
  23. Elias, 3 (14-way tie)
  24. Filip, 3 (14-way tie)
  25. Hans, 3 (14-way tie)
  26. Jens, 3 (14-way tie)
  27. Jóel, 3 (14-way tie)
  28. Jón, 3 (14-way tie)
  29. Kári, 3 (14-way tie)
  30. Leon, 3 (14-way tie)
  31. Silas, 3 (14-way tie)
  32. Teitur, 3 (14-way tie)
  33. Uni, 3 (14-way tie)

Some of the other baby names bestowed in the Faroe Islands in 2021 include…

  • Brá (2 girls), based on the Old Norse word brá, meaing “eyelash.”
  • Brosi (1 boy), based on the Old Norse word brosa, meaning “to smile.”
  • Drós (1 girl), based on an Old Norse word meaning “woman.”
  • Fípa (1 girl), based on the Old Norse word fífa, meaning “cotton grass.”
  • Flykra (1 girl), means “(snow) flake” in Faroese.
  • Glæma (1 girl), means “ray of light” in Faroese.
  • Glóð (2 girls), based on an Old Norse word meaning “ember, glow.”
  • Røskva (1 girl), based on an Old Norse word meaning “vigorous, brave.”
  • Smæra (1 girl), means “clover” in Faroese.
  • Urð (1 girl), based on an Old Norse word meaning “fate, destiny.”

In 2020, the top names in the Faroe Islands were Anna/Olivia (tie) and Benjamin/Elias/Lukas (3-way tie).

Sources: Statistical Database (Names) – Hagstova Føroya, Faroe Islands – Wikipedia, Nordic Names

Image: Adapted from Flag of the Faroe Islands (public domain)

Popular baby names in the Faroe Islands, 2019

Flag of the Faroe Islands
Flag of the Faroe Islands

According to Statistics Faroe Islands, the most popular baby names last year in the Faroe Islands — the North Atlantic archipelago that belongs to Denmark — were Anna and Jónas.

Here are the Faroe Islands’ top 10+ girl names and top 10+ boy names of 2019:

Girl names

  1. Anna, 9 baby girls
  2. Eva, 7 (two-way tie)
  3. Lea, 7 (two-way tie)
  4. Maria, 6 (three-way tie)
  5. Mia, 6 (three-way tie)
  6. Vón, 6 (three-way tie)
    • Based on an Old Norse word meaning “hope.”
  7. Alda, 5 (three-way tie)
  8. Elsa, 5 (three-way tie)
  9. Olivia, 5 (three-way tie)
  10. Emma, 4 (three-way tie)
  11. Liva, 4 (three-way tie)
  12. Rósa, 4 (three-way tie)

Boy names

  1. Jónas, 9 baby boys
  2. Óðin, 8
  3. Benjamin, 6 (three-way tie)
  4. Magnus, 6 (three-way tie)
  5. Rókur, 6 (three-way tie)
    • Based on an Old Norse name meaning “crow, rook.”
  6. Adrian, 5 (four-way tie)
  7. Baldur, 5 (four-way tie)
  8. Boas, 5 (four-way tie)
  9. Jósef, 5 (four-way tie)
  10. Ari, 4 (eleven-way tie)
  11. Bragi, 4 (eleven-way tie)
    • Based on an Old Norse word meaning “the best, foremost” or “poetry.” Also the Norse god of poetry.
  12. Dávid, 4 (eleven-way tie)
  13. Hugin, 4 (eleven-way tie)
    • Based on an Old Norse word meaning “mind, spirit, thought.”
  14. Jákup, 4 (eleven-way tie)
  15. Jóhan, 4 (eleven-way tie)
  16. Jón, 4 (eleven-way tie)
  17. Markus, 4 (eleven-way tie)
  18. Milan, 4 (eleven-way tie)
  19. Nóa, 4 (eleven-way tie)
  20. Villiam, 4 (eleven-way tie)

Some of the other baby names bestowed in the Faroe Islands in 2019 include…

  • Brima (f) “surf, surge” in Old Norse
  • Døgg (f) “dew”
  • Glóa (f) “to glow, to shine, to glitter”
  • Gylta (f) “young sow”
  • Gylvi (m) “roaring sea, heavy sea”
  • Hjalti (m) “man from Hjaltland“
  • Tjálvi (m) “one who encompasses, keeps together”
  • Treysti (m) “trusty”
  • Ýr (f) “yew tree, bow”

P.S. Denmark has a total of two overseas territories: the Faroe Islands and Greenland.

Sources: Statistics Faroe Islands (via Reddit), Faroe Islands – Wikipedia, Nordic Names

Image: Adapted from Flag of the Faroe Islands (public domain)

Unusual real name: Aldaberontophoscophornia

Gravestone of Aldaberonto Fearing (1812-1905)
Aldaberonto’s gravestone

In the late 1700s and early 1800s, Abraham and Ruth Bowen of Massachusetts welcomed at least seven children:

  • John (b. 1797)
  • Amanda (b. 1799)
  • Abraham (b. 1803)
  • Jeannett (b. 1805)
  • Nathan (b. 1808)
  • Aldaberontophoscophornia (b. 1812)
  • Zephaniah (b. 1820)

Where did Aldaberontophoscophornia come from?

The source seems to be the “nonsense verse” play Chrononhotonthologos (1734) by English writer Henry Carey. The play featured a bombastic male character by the name of Aldiborontiphoscophornio.

We’ll never know why Abraham and Ruth chose such a cumbersome name for their baby girl. But we do know that Aldaberontophoscophornia rarely (if ever) used the full version of her first name anywhere. In all the records I’ve seen so far — and even on her headstone — it’s shortened to “Aldaberonto,” “Alda Beronto,” “Alda B.,” or simply “Alda.”

Aldaberontophoscophornia went on to marry a man named Andrew C. Fearing and have at least a dozen children. (The names of eleven of them are Amanda, Ellen, Andrew, George, Thatcher, Henry, Marion, William, Charles, Frank, and Emelyn.) It doesn’t look like her name was passed down to any descendants.

What are your thoughts on this name?

Sources:

Image by Caryn of Find A Grave