Alma (given name)

Alma (/ˈɑːlmə/ AHL-mə) or (according to Jones 1997) /'ælmə/) is an English feminine given name, but has historically been used in the masculine form as well, sometimes in the form Almo. The origin of the name is debated; it may have been derived from "alma mater" ("benevolent mother", a title used for the Virgin Mary, and in antiquity, for several goddesses). It gained popularity after the Battle of Alma in the 19th century and appeared as a fashionable name for girls and a popular place name, but it has decreased in appearance in the 20th and 21st centuries. The name Alma also has several meanings in a variety of languages, and is generally translated to mean that the child "feeds one's soul" or "lifts the spirit".