Alicia is a female given name of Latin origin, derived from the word 'adalid', which means "noble". It has gained popularity in many cultures worldwide and can be found in various spellings such as Alix, Alica, Alisha, and Alyssa.
The name Alicia first appeared in Spanish literature during the Middle Ages. In "Amadis de Gaula", a popular romance novel of the time, Princess Oriana fell in love with Prince Amadis de Gaula who was disguised as a knight named Alicia. This usage popularized the name for females in Spain and later spread to other European countries.
In the United States, Alicia has been consistently ranked among the top 1000 names given to baby girls since the early 20th century. It peaked in popularity during the late 1980s and early 1990s, reaching its highest rank of #376 in 1988.
Some notable individuals named Alicia include Alicia Keys, an American singer-songwriter, actress, and record producer; Alicia Silverstone, an American actress known for her role in the film "Clueless"; and Alicia Marcum-Pollack, a Canadian astronaut who became one of NASA's first female candidates to train for spaceflight.
While Alicia has no specific association with holidays or personality traits, it is considered a strong, elegant name that carries a rich historical background. Its popularity can be attributed to its timeless beauty and worldwide recognition.
The name Alicia has been a popular choice for parents in the United States since the early 20th century. The earliest recorded birth year is 1926, with five babies named Alicia born that year. This number remained steady over the next few years, with another five births in 1932 and six births each in 1939 and 1940.
The popularity of the name began to increase in the mid-1950s, with eight births recorded in 1955. This trend continued through the 1960s and into the early 1970s, with peaks of 21 births in 1971 and 22 births in 1972.
The name Alicia reached its peak popularity between the mid-1980s and early 1990s. The highest number of births recorded was in 1989, with a total of 39 babies named Alicia. This trend continued through 1990, with 23 births that year.
However, the popularity of the name began to decline in the mid-1990s, with only nine births recorded in 1996 and six births in 2004. The most recent birth data available is from 2005, with five babies named Alicia born that year.
Overall, since 1926, there have been a total of 707 babies named Alicia born in the United States. This demonstrates that while the name has had periods of high and low popularity over the years, it has remained a consistent choice for parents throughout the 20th century and into the early 21st century.