Alice is a feminine first name with roots in the French and German languages.

Etymology

Alice is a form of the Old French name Alis (older Alais), short form of Adelais, which is derived from the Old High German Adalhaidis (see Adelaide), from the Proto-Germanic words, meaning "noble" and , meaning "appearance; kind" (compare German Adel "nobility", edel "noble", nominalizing suffix -heit "-hood"), hence "of noble character or rank, of nobility". Alaïs is the Old French form of the name; Alys of Vexin was also known as Alaïs.

Popularity as a given name

In 2015, the name appeared in the top 100 most popular names for baby girls in Australia, Belgium, France, Canada, Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales, and Northern Ireland. In England and Wales, it was ranked the 24th most popular name in 2015, but it has been less popular in the US until a recent resurgence. Some sources cite the resurgence starting in 2000, while others showed an up swing starting in 2010 One source attributes this to Tina Fey having named her daughter Alice in 2005, though this is more likely a case of coincidence than causality. Other sources attribute the rise in popularity to media sources such as the Twilight books by Stephenie Meyer. In Sweden and Italy it has appeared in the top ten names in recent years. In 2022, it was the 11th most popular name given to girls in Canada. The name was most popular in the US in the Victorian era and at the turn of the 20th century. It has been popularized by Alice in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll. It was also popular in the Victorian era due to The Princess Alice, a daughter of Queen Victoria. In the US, Alice Roosevelt Longworth, daughter of Theodore Roosevelt, was occasionally known as "Princess Alice" in the press and inspired a song called "Alice Blue Gown".

Variants

Variants of the given name today include Alicia, Alison, and a short form, Allie, with many spelling variants. Alisa is a form of the name in popular use in Russia, Estonia and other countries. Aliki is the form used in Greek. Eilis may be the Irish form (pronounced Ailish).

People with the first name Alice

Royalty

Authors and poets

Musicians

Actresses and filmmakers

Science and medicine

Activists

Athletes

Artists

Miscellaneous

People with the surname Alice

Fictional characters