Altagracia
A feminine name of Spanish origin meaning "highest grace".
Name Census estimates that about 510 living Americans carry the first name Altagracia. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Altagracia today is around 49 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Altagracia births was 1990 (22 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Altagracia. 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.
People living today
510
~ 1 in 672,067 Americans
Peak year
1990
22 babies that year
Average age
49
years old
2008 SSA rank
#13,928
Tracked since 1915
Popularity
Altagracia: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Altagracia from the 1910s through to the 2000s, spanning 10 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 135 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1970s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Altagracia 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 Altagracia during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Altagracias live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. New York, Texas, California recorded the most babies named Altagracia, while California, Texas, New York recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 86 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Altagracia
The name Altagracia has its origins in the Spanish language and is closely associated with the Virgin Mary, also known as "Nuestra Señora de la Altagracia" (Our Lady of High Grace). This name is deeply rooted in the Catholic faith and has been widely used in Spanish-speaking countries, particularly in Latin America and Spain.
The name Altagracia is derived from the Spanish words "alta" meaning "high" and "gracia" meaning "grace." It is believed to have originated during the Middle Ages when devotion to the Virgin Mary was widespread in the Iberian Peninsula. The name is a testament to the reverence and adoration shown towards the Virgin Mary, who is considered the embodiment of divine grace and a source of spiritual guidance.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Altagracia can be found in the 16th century, when a Dominican friar named Alonso de Portocarrero brought an image of the Virgin Mary to the island of Hispaniola (present-day Dominican Republic and Haiti). This image, known as "La Virgen de la Altagracia," became the patron saint of the Dominican Republic and has been deeply revered by the people of the country ever since.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Altagracia. One of the most famous was Altagracia Paulino (1892-1965), a Dominican writer and activist who played a significant role in promoting women's rights and education in her country. Another noteworthy figure was Altagracia Alvino (1898-1997), a Puerto Rican educator and social worker who dedicated her life to improving the lives of underprivileged children and families.
In Spain, Altagracia de la Cruz (1582-1624), also known as "La Beata," was a Conceptionist nun who is remembered for her mystical experiences and her devotion to the Virgin Mary. Similarly, Altagracia Somoza (1827-1905), a Spanish writer and poet, made significant contributions to the literary world of her time.
Finally, Altagracia Quintero (1904-1998), a Venezuelan politician and activist, played a crucial role in the fight for women's suffrage and civil rights in her country. She was a pioneering figure in the feminist movement and worked tirelessly to promote gender equality.
These individuals, among many others, have carried the name Altagracia throughout history, representing its deep-rooted cultural and religious significance in various parts of the world.
People
Altagracia + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Altagracia 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
Altagracia: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Altagracia?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 510 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Altagracia 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 672,067 US residents.
Is Altagracia a common name?
We classify Altagracia as "Very Rare". It ranks above 84.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 779 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Altagracia most popular?
The single biggest year for Altagracia was 1990, when 22 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Altagracia is about 49 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Altagracia a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Altagracia in the SSA data are female. 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.
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.