Where does “Alicia” come from?
Alicia derives from Old French Alis, from Old High German Adalheidis, combining Old High German adal (noble) and heit (quality or state), with heit tracing to Proto-Indo-European h₂el- (to grow or nourish).
Ancestry of “Alicia”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Alice | popular in England since the Middle Ages |
| 2 | Old French | Alis | — |
| 3 | Old High German | Adalheid | — |
| 4 | Old High German | adal | noble; nobility; noble race |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | aþal | nobility; race |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | aþalą | nature, disposition; nobility, race |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | at-al | family, race |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂el- | to grow, nourish; beyond, other; to wander, roam |