Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Alice

The name Alice is an anglicized variant of the Old French Adelaide which is of Germanic origin. The Germanic “adal” means ‘noble’ and “heid” means ‘kind, sort’ hence the meaning of Alice being ‘noble one.’ Both the French Adelaide and the English Alice were well established in medieval times. The name enjoyed immense popularity in the 19th century thanks in large part to Lewis Carroll’s “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” (1865) and “Through the Looking Glass” (1872) based on his young child friend Alice Liddell. Due to the enduring popularity of these classic children’s books, and the quaintly commonsensical and beloved little heroine Alice, the name is almost synonymous with innocently adventurous little girls. Interestingly, today the name is most popular in Sweden and Italy (where it’s a Top 10 pick). It’s a Top 50 choice in France and England and a Top 100 in Ireland, Australia and Scotland. The North American countries (America and Canada) haven’t embraced the name in recent times as much, but it appears to be showing resurgence in popularity.

All About the Baby Name – Alice

Personality

OF THE GIRL NAME ALICE

The Three energy is powerful and enthusiastic. These personalities are cheerful, full of self-expression, and often quite emotional. They have an artistic flair and "gift-of-gab" that makes them natural entertainers. Their joyfulness bubbles over, and their infectious exuberance draws a crowd. The Three personality is like a child - forever young and full of delight. They are charming, witty, and generally happy people. The Three personality lives in the "now" and has a spontaneous nature. Threes seem to live with a bright and seemingly unbreakable aura that attracts others to them. In turn, they are deeply loyal and loving to their friends and family. Luck also has a tendency to favor number Threes.

Popularity

OF THE GIRL NAME ALICE

Alice was a Top 20 most popular girl’s name from 1880 up through 1928 (almost 50 straight years). The name remained on the Top 100 list until 1957 at which time Alice began to show signs of aging. The latter half of the 20th century saw old Alice committed to the back-burner as she swiftly went out of fashion. The name reached its lowest point of usage in 2002 when it hit position #444 on the charts. However, thanks to the triumphant return of 100-year-old classic names full of antique charm, Alice is currently enjoying a renaissance of sorts. The name is back on the Top 200 list of most-favored girls’ names. Not quite as impressive as Emma, Chloe, Lily or Lucy – but Alice is holding her own up the charts. This “noble” little name is so sweet and simple we’re not surprised that Europe beat America to its popularity. It’s a perfect little girl’s name that ages quite gracefully. Like a fine wine.

Quick Facts

ON ALICE

GENDER:

Girl

ORIGIN:

English

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

2

RANKING POPULARITY:

107

PRONUNCIATION:

AL-iss

SIMPLE MEANING:

Noble one

Characteristics

OF ALICE

Communicative

Creative

Optimistic

Popular

Social

Dramatic

Happy

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Alice

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME ALICE

Alice is the mother of one of the main characters, Tibby, in the 2001 bestseller by Ann Brashares, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, which inspired a movie and several sequels. She was a hippie sculptor who had Tibby when she was only nineteen. She and Tibby’s father have two other children much later, when they are more mainstreamed, with the result that Tibby almost feels she is part of a different family. Alice may sometimes be a source of exasperation to her daughter, but she must be credited with producing a child of great wit and ingenuity.

A Google search for this topic will net you almost 75 million hits. So what else can we say? Well, not much, probably, but that won’t stop us from trying. This is an all time classic, universally loved and translated, and has made incarnations in film, cartoons, comic books, toys – you name it. Lewis Carroll, as everyone knows, was the nom-de-plume for a reclusive Victorian Oxford don by the name of Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, who seems to have been particularly entranced by one of the little daughters of the Dean of Christ Church, Alice Liddell. In his efforts to please her he wrote down the story he had been telling her on an outing. In so doing, he re-created for us a fabulous child on a fabulous adventure in two books, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass between 1863 and 1871. Alice is no prissy little goody-goody. She is pert, sensible, questioning and determined, guiding us through the maze of her dream with clarity and élan. Alice has become a companion to millions of children through the years, especially little girls, and her very name conjures up a world of enchantment and magical delights, to which we may return at any time in adulthood.

Alice was the longtime companion of Gertrude Stein, the writer and unofficial mistress of avant –garde society of Paris in the 1920s. Born in San Francisco in 1877, she went to Paris in 1907, met Stein, and the rest is history. Together they hosted receptions for the leading intellects and artists of their day. Publicly outshone by the more domineering Stein, she was nonetheless the muse behind the artist, providing devoted support and comfort until Stein’s death in 1946. She was immortalized by Stein in her memoirs, The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas, and furthered her own fame with the publication of The Alice B. Toklas Cookbook, which of course, contained the recipe for the infamous hashish brownies. Yes, she did have a slight mustache, but we’ll forgive her that in light of her other accomplishments. And the “B” stands for Babette.

Alice Cullen is one of the characters in Stephanie Meyers’ hugely successful Vampire Series of books and movies in the teen fantasy romance genre. She is the adoptive sister of the main “good” vampire character, Edward Cullen, and is like a sister to the main character, Bella Swan. Alice is a bright, petite and pretty girl who has clairvoyant powers, a trait that got her institutionalized in her “human life”. She is also a typical young girl, who loves make-up, shopping and parties. A fiercely loyal friend to Bella, Alice is instrumental in defending her and Edward against their vast array of enemies in the vampire world, and in protecting their child, Renesmee, against false charges made against her.

Joel is a character in the controversial 1971 book titled “Go Ask Alice” by an anonymous author. It’s presented as the actual diary of a teenage girl who becomes addicted to drugs and so it has become a thinly veiled statement against drug use. The diarists name is never given (fittingly since it’s a diary after all!). The character of Joel who comes into the life of the diarist is one of virtue and kindness. He is able to draw her out of her self-destructive shell and she regains trust in the world through him. She is embarrassed about her past and insecure about herself, but he accepts her from the inside as she opens up to him. Joel restores the idea of true romantic love and is the epitome of goodness.

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME ALICE

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Alice


Popular Songs

ON ALICE

Pay No Attention to Alice
a song by Tom T. Hall

Alice
a song by Raven-Symoné

Alice in Wonderland
a song by Neil Sedaka

Alice Is A Long Time Gone
by the Incredible String Band

Alice Springs
a song by Liz Phair

Alice's House
a song by The Psychedelic Furs

Alice's Restaurant
a song by Arlo Guthrie

All the Girls Love Alice
a song by Elton John

Blues for Alice
a jazz song by Charlie Parker

Goodbye Alice in Wonderland
a song by Jewel

Hard Hearted Alice
a song by Alice Cooper

Here Comes Alice
a song by Jesus and Mary Chain

Hey Little Alice
a song by Aaron Neville

Living Next Door to Alice
a song by Smokie

Famous People

NAMED ALICE

Alice Sebold (author)
Alice McDermott (author)
Alice Walker (author)
Alice Brady (silent film star)
Alice Faye (singer/actress)
Elizabeth Alice "Ali" MacGraw (actress)
Alice Cooper (male rock musician)
Princess Alice of the United Kingdom (royalty)
Alice Liddell (muse for Alice's Adventures in Wonderland)
Alice Roosevelt Longworth (daughter to Teddy Roosevelt)
Alice B. Toklas (paramour of writer Gertrude Stein)
Alice Waters (famous chef and restaurateur)
Alice Sebold (author)
Alice McDermott (author)
Alice Walker (author)
Alice Brady (silent film star)
Alice Faye (singer/actress)
Elizabeth Alice "Ali" MacGraw (actress)
Alice Cooper (male rock musician)
Princess Alice of the United Kingdom (royalty)
Alice Liddell (muse for Alice's Adventures in Wonderland)
Alice Roosevelt Longworth (daughter to Teddy Roosevelt)
Alice B. Toklas (paramour of writer Gertrude Stein)
Alice Waters (famous chef and restaurateur)
Alice Sebold (author)
Alice McDermott (author)
Alice Walker (author)
Alice Brady (silent film star)
Alice Faye (singer/actress)
Elizabeth Alice "Ali" MacGraw (actress)
Alice Cooper (male rock musician)
Princess Alice of the United Kingdom (royalty)
Alice Liddell (muse for Alice's Adventures in Wonderland)
Alice Roosevelt Longworth (daughter to Teddy Roosevelt)
Alice B. Toklas (paramour of writer Gertrude Stein)
Alice Waters (famous chef and restaurateur)

Children of Famous People

NAMED ALICE

Tina Fey;

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME ALICE

We cannot find any historically significant people with the first name Alice