Alma’s Notebook: Personalized Journal for Alma
A simple, pretty journal made for one person: Alma. Her name is set in script above pink watercolor apple blossom on the cover.
- 160 lined pages
- 6" x 9" paperback
- Watercolor apple blossom cover with "Alma's Notebook" on the front
- Printed and shipped by Amazon
What does the name Alma mean?
Behind the Name gives Alma two sources. One is the Hebrew word for “young woman”; the other is the Latin almus, “nourishing”, which also gives us alma mater. It also coincides with the Spanish word for “the soul”. Wikipedia agrees the origin is debated and says the name is often translated as “feeds one’s soul” or “lifts the spirit”.
Alma nicknames and other forms
Alma is short already, so it has few nicknames. Wikipedia notes it was historically used for boys too, sometimes in the form Almo. After 1854 English parents also paired it with battle names, giving combinations like Alma Victoria.
Some famous Almas
Alma Mahler was an Austrian composer who married Gustav Mahler and later Walter Gropius and Franz Werfel, and was a fixture of Vienna’s cultural scene. Alma Cogan, “the Girl with the Giggle in Her Voice”, was the highest-paid British female entertainer of the 1950s. And screenwriter and editor Alma Reville worked with her husband Alfred Hitchcock on The Lady Vanishes and Shadow of a Doubt.
Alma through the decades
Alma was a 19th-century hit in the US. Social Security data has it at 54th in the 1890s and 57th in the 1900s, with its biggest numbers in the 1910s and 1920s, more than 27,000 and 30,000 girls. It fell to 186th by the 1940s. Behind the Name shows a revival abroad: it was the No. 1 name for girls in Denmark in 2025.
Did you know?
A battle made Alma fashionable. Wikipedia says the Battle of the Alma, fought near the Alma River in Crimea on 20 September 1854, sent the name into English birth registers, especially in the west of England. Alma is also the Crimean Tatar word for “apple”.
Gift ideas for an Alma
- For a graduate. A name that shares its root with alma mater.
- For a composer. Manuscript ideas, in honor of Alma Mahler.
- For a film buff. Notes on Hitchcock, in honor of Alma Reville.
- For a new baby in Denmark. Alma is the top name there.
Who is it for and how she can use it
Whether Alma is eight or eighty, a 6" x 9" notebook is a comfortable size: big enough to write in properly, slim enough to carry. The 160 lined pages don’t come with a set layout, so she decides what it’s for. Journal, planner, class notes, recipes, travel log or doodle book all work. And with her name on the cover, nobody will mistake it for theirs.
Why personalized works
Personalized gifts show you thought about the person, not just the occasion. A notebook with Alma on the cover is affordable, useful every day and still feels special. It’s also a safe choice when you’re not sure of someone’s style, because everyone needs somewhere to write things down.
Frequently asked questions
How big is Alma’s Notebook? It’s 6" x 9" (about 15.2 x 22.9 cm), with 160 lined pages in a paperback cover.
Where do I buy it? On Amazon. It’s printed on demand and shipped by Amazon, so delivery and returns go through your usual Amazon account.
Do you have other names? Plenty. If you’re shopping for more than one person, see all name notebooks and our personalized name notebooks page.
Check out Alma's Notebook on Amazon
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