Alice

This name not only went to Wonderland and back, but it has also been worn by royals, writers, and suffragettes throughout history. What name does this describe? Alice, of course.

Alice has similar origins to fellow classic Adelaide: the Germanic Adalheidis, which means "noble." Unlike Adelaide, though, Alice derived from its short form Aalis. In Medieval England, the beautiful flower-gathering figure "Fair Aelis" was common in courting events and chansons. That made the name more popular in the English language. 

Alice, which became the standard spelling in the 1200s, ranked in the English top 10 through the seventeenth century. Even though it declined over the next century, Alice did not fall below the top 20. The name remained extremely common even at its lowest point. 

It all changed after the birth of Queen Victoria's daughter, Princess Alice Maud Mary, in 1843. That brought Alice back into the top 10 by 1860. Shortly afterward, Lewis Carroll wrote his novels Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Alice Through the Looking Glass. Alice also made its way to the United States and other English-speaking nations. The name ranked in the American top 20 through the 1920s. 

After centuries of popularity, Alice began to decline in all English-speaking nations. It first left the top 100 in 1930s Australia and New Zealand, then in 1940s England, and finally, in 1950s America and Canada. Instead, parents turned to the medieval variants Alison and Allison, which became a popular hit among English-speakers by the late twentieth century.  

Alice's decline in the United States attributed to more than just over-popularity. First, there was the long-suffering housewife in the 1950s television series The Honeymooners. Second, parents in the late twentieth century associated the name with diner waitresses. However, these associations never pushed Alice completely out of fashion. Even at its lowest point in the 1990s and early 2000s, Alice never ranked below the American top 500.

Alice returned to the New Zealand top 100 in the late 1970s and the Australian and English top 100 during the 1980s. It took longer for Alice to return elsewhere in the English-speaking world. It did not return to the Canadian top 100 until 2010. Alice reappeared in the American top 100 four years later. 

Alice is now used in several European languages. These include Belgian, Czech, French, Irish, Italian, Dutch, Portuguese, Scottish, Spanish, Swedish, and Swiss. Alice has seen use in Brazil and Chile, too. 

The name may have declined a few times, but Alice was always well-used among English-speakers. The titular character of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland has also lived on through reprinted copies of the novel and film adaptations such as Walt Disney's 1951 animated classic. These all makes Alice a truly timeless classic that will continue its widespread usage for years to come. 

VARIANTS:

Ailish, Alicia, Alison, Alix

STYLES:

Artistic, Timeless

SISTERS:

Lucy, Helen, Clara, Sophie, Anne, Margaret, Emma, Rose

BROTHERS:

Simon, George, Oscar, Edward, Henry, Theodore, Charlie, Leon

ALTERNATIVES:

Adele, Agnes, Beatrice, Edith, Frances, Lois, Louise, Mavis

FURTHER RESOURCES:

"Alice." Names, Behind the Name, 7 Dec. 2022, https://www.behindthename.com/name/alice. 

Kihm, Sophie. "Alice." Names, Nameberry, 13 Aug. 2023, https://nameberry.com/babyname/alice. 

Nickerson, Eleanor. "Alice." Names of the Week, British Baby Names, 9 Feb. 2017, https://www.britishbabynames.com/blog/2017/09/name-of-the-week-alice.html.  

Wattenberg, Laura. The Baby Name Wizard. 4th ed., Harmony Books, 2019. 

What do you think about Alice?