The first name Alfred
A boy’s name from English meaning “elf”, “counsel”.
Pronounced /ˈælfɹəd/ 2 syllables Male Also a surname
Meaning and origin
English origin
Alfred means “elf”, “counsel” in English.
From Middle English Alfred, from Old English Ælfrǣd, from ælf (“elf”) + rǣd (“counsel”). Doublet of Alfredo and Avery. Equivalent to elf + rede. The modern pronunciation with /f/ is a spelling pronunciation; the name in Old English was pronounced with [v], as shown in its Middle English descendant Alured (in which u stands for modern v).
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 682 boys were named Alfred, making it the 76th most popular boys’ name. It peaked in 2021, with 739 births (#80).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Alfred with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Alfred at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 293 boys born in the United States were named Alfred, the 840th most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 1928, when 6,252 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Alfred in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Spelled Alfred in Catalan, Danish, Dutch, French, German, Norwegian and Swedish too.
Nicknames and spellings
Nicknames for Alfred
Famous people named Alfred
590 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Alfred HitchcockBritish filmmaker (1899–1980)
- Alfred TennysonBritish Poet Laureate (1809–1892)
- Alfred AdlerAustrian psychotherapist (1870–1937)
- Alfred Russel WallaceBritish naturalist, explorer, geographer, anthropologist and biologist (1823–1913)
- Alfred de MussetFrench writer (1810–1857)
- Alfred North WhiteheadEnglish mathematician and philosopher (1861–1947)
- Alfred WegenerGerman climatologist and geophysicist (1880–1930)
- Alfred SisleyFrench, British painter (1839–1899)
- Alfred de VignyFrench poet, playwright, and novelist (1797–1863)
- Alfred KastlerFrench physicist (1902–1984)
- William Alfred FowlerAmerican nuclear physicist (1911-1995)
- Alfred MarshallBritish economist (1842–1924)
More English boys’ names
Questions
- What does the name Alfred mean?
- Alfred means “elf”, “counsel” in English.
- What is the origin of the name Alfred?
- From Middle English Alfred, from Old English Ælfrǣd, from ælf (“elf”) + rǣd (“counsel”). Doublet of Alfredo and Avery. Equivalent to elf + rede. The modern pronunciation with /f/ is a spelling pronunciation; the name in Old English was pronounced with [v], as shown in its Middle English descendant…
- How popular is the name Alfred?
- In 2025, 682 boys born in England and Wales were named Alfred, ranking 76th. Its peak was 2021, with 739 births.
- What are nicknames for Alfred?
- Common nicknames for Alfred include Alfie.
- Is Alfred a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a boy's name: 99% of the 245,153 US babies named Alfred since 1880 were boys.
- When was Alfred most popular?
- 1928 in the United States, when 6,252 babies were named Alfred, its highest rank at 33rd.
- How do you pronounce Alfred?
- Alfred is /ˈælfɹəd/, 2 syllables.
- Is Alfred also a surname?
- Yes. Alfred is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.