Alimou
A masculine name of West African origin meaning "wise prince".
Name Census estimates that about 10 living Americans carry the first name Alimou. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Alimou today is around 4 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Alimou births was 2020 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Alimou. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Alimou. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
10
~ 1 in 34,275,434 Americans
Peak year
2020
5 babies that year
Average age
4
years old
2024 SSA rank
#12,392
Tracked since 2020
Popularity
Alimou: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Alimou by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Alimou during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 10 | 0 | 10 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Alimou
The name Alimou has its origins in West Africa, specifically among the Mandinka people of Senegal, Gambia, and Guinea-Bissau. It is derived from the Mandinka word "ali," which means "well-born" or "of high rank," and "mou," meaning "son of." Therefore, Alimou can be interpreted as "son of the well-born" or "son of the noble one."
One of the earliest known references to the name Alimou can be found in the Epic of Sundiata, a renowned oral tradition of the Mandinka people. This epic tells the story of Sundiata Keita, the legendary founder of the Mali Empire in the 13th century. Among the characters mentioned in the epic is Alimou, a loyal companion and advisor to Sundiata.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Alimou. One of the earliest recorded examples is Alimou Bamba (c. 1630-1696), a prominent Sufi scholar and spiritual leader from Senegal. He played a significant role in the spread of Islam in the region and established a influential Sufi order known as the Mouride Brotherhood.
Another historical figure with the name Alimou was Alimou Diallo (1875-1946), a influential Islamic scholar and political leader from Guinea. He was a prominent figure in the resistance against French colonial rule and played a crucial role in the preservation of traditional Islamic education in the region.
In more recent times, Alimou Cisse (born 1943) is a Senegalese politician and diplomat who served as the Prime Minister of Senegal from 2004 to 2007. He has also held various ministerial positions and represented Senegal in international organizations.
Alimou Diallo (born 1983) is a Guinean professional basketball player who has played in several European leagues and represented Guinea at international competitions. He is considered one of the most talented basketball players from Guinea in recent years.
It is worth noting that while the name Alimou has its roots in West Africa, it has also gained popularity in other parts of the world, particularly among Muslim communities. This is likely due to its Islamic connotation and the historical influence of West African Islamic scholars and leaders.
People
Alimou + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Alimou as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with A
Other first names starting with A with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Alimou: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Alimou?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 10 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Alimou going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 34,275,434 US residents.
Is Alimou a common name?
We classify Alimou as "Very Rare". It ranks above 28.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 10 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Alimou most popular?
The single biggest year for Alimou was 2020, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Alimou is about 4 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Alimou in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Alimou a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Alimou in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Alimou still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Alimou in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Alimou can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are named Alimou?
Want to know how many people share the name Alimou? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.