Meaning and background
The story behind Alabama
Alabama is the American state name taken from the Alabama River, which in turn was named for the Alabama or Alibamu people. Its ultimate literal origin remains debated. The Alabama Department of Archives specifically rejects the popular “here we rest” explanation as unsupported, while “thicket clearers” is a historical proposal rather than a proven translation.
- Origin
- US state name transferred from the Alabama River, named after the Alabama/Alibamu people. Source
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About Alabama
Recorded as a dog’s name
Alabama appears in 13 dog licence records in the 2022 New York City dataset.
How to read this count
These records cover New York City and may count the same dog in more than one licence period. They are not a national popularity ranking.
Pronunciation and rhythm
/æləbæmə/
US English sound sequence, converted from the CMU dictionary. Stress marks are shown separately.
Stress on the third syllable in the recorded US readings.
View dictionary notation
/æləbæmə/ · primary stress on syllable 3AE2 L AH0 B AE1 M AH0
These are US dictionary readings. Personal, regional and other language pronunciations may differ.
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Sources and research notes (2)
- New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene NYC Dog Licensing Dataset — all seven available extract years, retrieved 24 October 2026 — Recorded name spellings in NYC licence-period rows, extract years 2016–2018, 2022–2024 and 2026. Evidence selects one stated year per name. Annual snapshots overlap; never sum them as unique dogs. No national popularity, etymology or owner naming-intent claim.
- Carnegie Mellon University / CMU Sphinx maintainers CMU US English Pronouncing Dictionary — US English dictionary readings; not owner-specific or exhaustive multilingual pronunciation
References support the individual facts shown. A source link does not mean the entire profile has been verified.