| Alba | Esperanza | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Dawn | hope |
| Origin | Spanish | spanish |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | AHL-bah | es-peh-RAHN-sah |
| Syllables | 2 | 4 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1903 |
| Peak year | 2024 (205) | 2000 (499) |
| In 2025 | 177 | 188 |
| Trend | Near its peak | Steady |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Alba | Esperanza |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 1,149 | 1,454 |
| 2010s | 1,390 | 2,690 |
| 2000s | 718 | 3,814 |
| 1990s | 811 | 2,359 |
| 1980s | 838 | 1,302 |
| 1970s | 356 | 1,317 |
| 1960s | 305 | 1,232 |
| 1950s | 320 | 1,500 |
| 1940s | 158 | 1,602 |
| 1930s | 301 | 1,385 |
| 1920s | 491 | 1,695 |
| 1910s | 461 | 454 |
| 1900s | 84 | 45 |
| 1890s | 54 | 0 |
| 1880s | 35 | 0 |
Alba is the Spanish and Latin word for “dawn” or “sunrise.”
The Spanish word for 'hope', from the Latin sperantia (from sperare 'to hope'). One of the three theological virtues and a Marian title, Nuestra Señora de la Esperanza (Our Lady of Hope).
Esperanza is more popular than Alba today: about 188 US babies were given the name Esperanza in 2025, compared with 177 named Alba.
Alba means Dawn (Spanish origin), while Esperanza means hope (spanish origin).
In US records, Alba first appears in 1880 and Esperanza in 1903, so Alba has the longer recorded history.