Alma (given name)

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Alma

Alma Parens, by William-Adolphe Bouguereau.
Pronunciation	/'ælmə/
Gender	Female
Language(s)	Latin
Origin
Meaning	kind, nourishing
Other names
Variant form(s)	Allma, Almah
Short form(s)	aem
See also	mea

Alma (/ˈɑːlmə/ AHL-mə)^[1] 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.^[2] The origin of the name is debated; it may have been derived from "alma mater"^[3] ("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,^[4] 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".^[5]