The nameAlice
Alice is a girl's name of Germanic origin meaning "of noble kind". The heroine of Lewis Carroll's Wonderland, it is a timeless classic.
- Girl's name
- Germanic
Meaning
Alice comes from Adalheidis, the Germanic form of Adelaide, made of adal, "noble", and heid, "kind, type": "of noble kind".
Origin
Germanic, through Old French. Alice was a common name in medieval England.
History
Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865) made the name famous worldwide. It was in the American top 10 in the late 19th century and has come back in Britain, France and Italy.
Alice in other languages
Alice is spelled the same in English, French and Italian. It is Alicia in Spanish, Alícia in Portuguese and Catalan, and Alicja in Polish. Alix is its medieval French form.
Nicknames for Alice
The most common nicknames for Alice: Ally and Allie.
Did you know?
- The real Alice was Alice Liddell: Lewis Carroll first told her the story of Wonderland on a rowing trip on the Thames in July 1862, when she was ten.
- Since 1978, Alice and Bob have been the two characters who exchange secret messages in cryptography examples.
- In 1922 the Frenchwoman Alice Milliat organised the first Women's World Games in Paris, as women were largely kept out of the Olympics.
Famous people named Alice
- Alice Liddell, inspiration for Alice in Wonderland
- Alice Walker, writer
- Alice Munro, writer
- Alice Cooper, musician (stage name)
Popularity of the name Alice
Alice in the United States
Alice was most popular in the United States in the 1920s, with 110,911 births over the decade, 19% of all recorded babies named Alice. Half of all babies named Alice in the United States were born before 1932, although it is popular again today. Over the last five years on record, its popularity has held steady at around 3,439 births a year.
Alice in the United Kingdom
Alice was most popular in the United Kingdom in the 2010s, with 19,346 births over the decade, 40% of all recorded babies named Alice. Half of all babies named Alice in the United Kingdom were born before 2011, so it is mostly a name of today's children and teenagers. Over the last five years on record, it has been falling: 1,141 births a year on average, against 2,021 in the five years before.
Alice in Ireland
Alice in France
Alice in Belgium
Alice in Switzerland
Alice in Austria
Alice in Norway
Variants and related names
Sibling names for Alice
Names from the same generation as Alice, whose popularity in the United States has followed a similar path.
How many people are named Alice? See the counter → · What would your name be in 1950? · Name origin quiz
Compare Alice with another name
Meaning, origin and popularity of Alice side by side with the name of your choice.
Alice in our baby name lists
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Alice mean?
Alice comes from Adalheidis, the Germanic form of Adelaide, made of adal, "noble", and heid, "kind, type": "of noble kind".
What is the origin of the name Alice?
Germanic, through Old French. Alice was a common name in medieval England.
Is Alice a girl's or a boy's name?
Alice is a girl's name.
How popular is the name Alice?
In 2024, Alice was the 62nd most popular name for baby girls in the United States, with 3,520 births.
What are the variants of the name Alice?
Variants and related names of Alice include Adelaide, Alicia, Aliette, Alisha, Alison, Alisson, Alix and Allison.
What are good sibling names for Alice?
Names from the same generation, with a similar popularity in the United States: Charlotte, Amelia, Stella and Cora for a sister, Leonardo, Sawyer, Liam and Silas for a brother.
What are common nicknames for Alice?
The most common nicknames for Alice are Ally and Allie.
Who are famous people named Alice?
Alice Liddell, inspiration for Alice in Wonderland; Alice Walker, writer; Alice Munro, writer; Alice Cooper, musician (stage name).