What does Frida mean?
Frida comes from the Old Norse and Germanic for “peace.”
What does Alva mean?
Alva comes from the Old Norse for “elf,” a being of light.
Frida vs Alva
Which is more popular?
Frida is more popular than Alva today: about 135 US babies were given the name Frida in 2025, compared with 22 named Alva.
| Frida | Alva | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Peace | Elf |
| Origin | Norse | Norse |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | FREE-dah | AHL-vah |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1892 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 2017 (418) | 1918 (196) |
| In 2025 | 135 | 22 |
| Trend | Steady | Rising |
Popularity over time, 1880–2025
Frida
Alva
Source: US Social Security Administration.
Births by decade
| Decade | Frida | Alva |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 1,320 | 176 |
| 2010s | 3,077 | 197 |
| 2000s | 3,159 | 132 |
| 1990s | 648 | 157 |
| 1980s | 37 | 279 |
| 1970s | 45 | 316 |
| 1960s | 50 | 519 |
| 1950s | 29 | 797 |
| 1940s | 6 | 875 |
| 1930s | 26 | 1,185 |
| 1920s | 42 | 1,591 |
| 1910s | 37 | 1,404 |
| 1900s | 5 | 604 |
| 1890s | 10 | 475 |
| 1880s | 0 | 182 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Frida or Alva more popular?
Frida is more popular than Alva today: about 135 US babies were given the name Frida in 2025, compared with 22 named Alva.
What is the difference between Frida and Alva?
Frida means Peace (Norse origin), while Alva means Elf (Norse origin).
Which name is older, Frida or Alva?
In US records, Frida first appears in 1892 and Alva in 1880, so Alva has the longer recorded history.