UK girl's name
Alicia
Of Spanish origin meaning "of noble kind".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Alicia is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Alicia popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #439, with 97 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2004, with 938 births.
This profile covers 13,356 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 10% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 14,731 living people in the UK are called Alicia. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Alicia ranked #439 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 97 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2004, when 938 girls were registered as Alicia.
- • Alicia ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #266 in 2022.
- • About 14,731 living people in the UK are estimated to have Alicia as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#439
2024
Births in 2024
97
Latest year
Peak year
2004
938 births
Estimated living
14,731
2026
Meaning
What does Alicia mean?
The name Alicia is derived from the Old German name Adaliz, which is a combination of the Germanic elements "adal" meaning "noble" and "lind" meaning "serpent" or "snake." It is a feminine form of the masculine name Adalrico or Alaric. The name Alicia first appeared in the Middle Ages, around the 12th century, as a variant of the name Alice, which was a popular name among the Norman nobility after the Norman Conquest of England in 1066.
Alicia gained widespread popularity in Spain and other Spanish-speaking countries, where it is often spelled Alicia. In Italian, it is spelled Alicia or Alizia. The name has been used throughout Europe for centuries, and it can be found in various historical records and literary works from different eras.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Alicia is from the 12th century, when it was borne by Alicia de Toni, an Italian noblewoman. In the 13th century, Alicia de Lacy was a prominent English noblewoman and heiress who lived from 1233 to 1311.
During the Renaissance period, Alicia Gonzaga (1594-1654) was an Italian noblewoman and patron of the arts. She was known for her patronage of artists such as Guido Reni and Guercino.
In the 18th century, Alicia Meynell (1782-1859) was an English writer and poet. She was a prominent figure in the literary circles of her time and is remembered for her works such as "Poems" and "The Autobiography of a Working Man."
In the 19th century, Alicia Petit (1876-1953) was a Spanish painter and sculptor who was part of the Catalan Modernist movement. Her works are displayed in various museums and galleries across Spain.
Alicia Markova (1910-2004) was a famous English ballerina who was widely regarded as one of the greatest classical ballet dancers of the 20th century. She was a principal dancer with the Ballets Russes and later founded her own company, the Markova-Dolin Ballet Company.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Alicia over time
The chart below shows babies named Alicia registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Alicia, the clearest high point is 2004. The latest England and Wales figure is 97 births in 2024, compared with 938 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Alicia by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Alicia was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #354 | 637 | 5 |
| 2010s | #171 | 3,415 | 10 |
| 2000s | #82 | 6,895 | 10 |
| 1990s | #87 | 2,409 | 4 |
Geography
Where Alicia is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Alicia. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Alicia ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #266 in 2022.
Across the UK
Alicia in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#638 in 2024
48 years of NRS records, 1,036 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#266 in 2022
25 years of NISRA records, 428 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Alicia
-
Alicia Wilson
swimmer
British swimmer
2000-
-
Alicia Presland
cricketer
English cricketer
1999-
-
Alicia Blagg
swimmer; competitive diver
British diver
1996-
-
Alicia Mead
squash player
English squash player
1995-
-
Alicia Hempleman-Adams
explorer
British polar traveller
1989-
-
Alicia Vikander
actor; voice actor; film producer; dancer; film actor
Swedish actress (born 1988)
1988-
-
Alicia Kearns
politician
British politician
1987-
-
Alicia Douvall
model
English model
1979-
Related
Names similar to Alicia
- Amelia 94,830
- Ava 54,556
- Amy 52,495
- Alice 46,815
- Abigail 45,658
- Amber 31,922
- Anna 27,802
- Alexandra 19,455
- Amelie 18,051
- Abbie 15,971
- Aimee 15,158
- Annabelle 15,120
FAQ
Alicia: questions and answers
How popular is the name Alicia in the UK right now?
In 2024, Alicia was ranked #439 for girls in England and Wales, with 97 births registered.
When was Alicia most popular?
The peak year on record was 2004, with 938 babies registered as Alicia in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Alicia?
Of Spanish origin meaning "of noble kind".
How many people are called Alicia in the UK?
A total of 13,356 babies have been registered as Alicia across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 1,036 more in Scotland and 428 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Alicia most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Alicia ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #266 in 2022. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.