| Alba | Paloma | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Dawn | dove |
| Origin | Spanish | spanish |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | AHL-bah | pah-LO-mah |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1921 |
| Peak year | 2024 (205) | 2009 (411) |
| In 2025 | 177 | 343 |
| Trend | Near its peak | Steady |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Alba | Paloma |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 1,149 | 1,741 |
| 2010s | 1,390 | 3,230 |
| 2000s | 718 | 3,065 |
| 1990s | 811 | 1,877 |
| 1980s | 838 | 699 |
| 1970s | 356 | 131 |
| 1960s | 305 | 5 |
| 1950s | 320 | 0 |
| 1940s | 158 | 0 |
| 1930s | 301 | 0 |
| 1920s | 491 | 17 |
| 1910s | 461 | 0 |
| 1900s | 84 | 0 |
| 1890s | 54 | 0 |
| 1880s | 35 | 0 |
Alba is the Spanish and Latin word for “dawn” or “sunrise.”
The Spanish word for 'dove', from the Latin palumbes 'wood pigeon, dove'. It carries a Marian and Christian resonance (the dove as a symbol of the Holy Spirit and of peace) and appears in the title Virgen de la Paloma.
Paloma is more popular than Alba today: about 343 US babies were given the name Paloma in 2025, compared with 177 named Alba.
Alba means Dawn (Spanish origin), while Paloma means dove (spanish origin).
In US records, Alba first appears in 1880 and Paloma in 1921, so Alba has the longer recorded history.