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