Alba

The name Alba may refer to —

• the ancient and modern Gaelic name (pronounced Al-a-pah) for Scotland. The word ultimately comes from a Celtic word meaning "Britain", hence the early classical "Albion". Used by the Gaels to refer to Britain as a whole until roughly the 9th or 10th centuries, it came to be the name given to the kingdoms of the Picts and the Scots (Pictavia and Dalriada), north of the rivers Forth and Clyde unified by Kenneth Mac Alpin. As time passed that kingdom incorporated others to the south.

It became Latinized in the High Medieval period as "Albania" (not directly related to the modern Albania). This latter word was employed mainly by Celto-Latin writers, and most famously by Geoffrey of Monmouth. It was this word which passed into Middle English as Albany, although very rarely was this used for the Kingdom of Scotland, but rather for the notional Duchy of Albany. From the latter the capital of New York takes its name.

• a county in Romania whose capital is Alba Iulia.
• a town in Piedmont, Italy.
• a municipality in Aragon, Spain.
• Alba de Tormes (origin of the Castilian noble Alba family) and Alba de Yeltes, in Catile-Leon, Spain.
• The ancient city of Alba Longa in Latium, Italy.
• a genetically altered rabbit, given the famous GFP gene of Jellyfish.
• a brand of consumer electronics, sold in the United Kingdom

In the United States, it may refer to —

• any one of the towns or unincorporated places located in Michigan, Missouri, Pennsylvania, and Texas.
• any of multiple townships.

People named Alba include —

• Jessica Alba
• Alba (king of Rome)