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Name Lineage

    The first name Alphonse

    A boy’s name from Spanish.

    2 syllables Male Also a surname

    Meaning and origin

    Spanish origin

    From French Alphonse, from Spanish Alfonso, ultimately from Proto-Germanic *Aþalafunsaz, from *aþalaz + *funsaz. Doublet of Alfonso.

    From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).

    Popularity

    Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025

    Alphonse last appeared in the official list in 2024, given to 3 boys. It peaked in 2017, with 6 births (#3,040).

    0510 1996200020052010201520202025
    36
    babies named Alphonse, 1996–2025
    #5,119
    rank in 2024
    2017
    peak year

    Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Alphonse with other names.

    Popularity in the United States

    Babies named Alphonse at birth, 1880–2025

    In 2025, 53 boys born in the United States were named Alphonse, the 2,516th most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 1918, when 357 were.

    0200400 188018851890189519001905191019151920192519301935194019451950195519601965197019751980198519901995200020052010201520202025
    10,590
    babies named Alphonse since 1880
    #2,516
    rank in 2025
    1918
    peak year

    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.

    Nicknames and spellings

    Nicknames for Alphonse

    • Fonzi

    Other spellings and forms

    • Alfonse

    Famous people named Alphonse

    96 on Wikidata, most written-about first

    • Alphonse de Lamartine
      French author, poet and statesman (1790-1869)
    • Alphonse Daudet
      French novelist, playwright, and poet (1840–1897)
    • Charles Louis Alphonse Laveran
      French physician, 1845–1922
    • Alphonse Areola
      French footballer (born 1993)
    • Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr
      French critic, journalist, and novelist (1808-1890)
    • Alphonse Allais
      French writer and humorist (1854–1905)
    • Alphonse Borrelly
      French astronomer, 1842–1926
    • Alphonse Massamba-Débat
      Congolese politician (1921-1977)
    • Alphonse Bertillon
      French forensic scientist (1853–1914)
    • Alphonse Milne-Edwards
      Anglo-French zoologist (1835-1900)
    • Alphonse, Count of Poitiers
      Count of Poitou, 1220–1271
    • Alphonse Jourdain
      Count of Tripoli, 1105-1109, thereafter Count of Toulouse

    More Spanish boys’ names

    All 85 names of Spanish origin

    Questions

    What does the name Alphonse mean?
    From French Alphonse, from Spanish Alfonso, ultimately from Proto-Germanic *Aþalafunsaz, from *aþalaz + *funsaz. Doublet of Alfonso.
    What is the origin of the name Alphonse?
    From French Alphonse, from Spanish Alfonso, ultimately from Proto-Germanic *Aþalafunsaz, from *aþalaz + *funsaz. Doublet of Alfonso.
    How popular is the name Alphonse?
    In 2024, 3 boys born in England and Wales were named Alphonse, ranking 5,119th. Its peak was 2017, with 6 births.
    What are nicknames for Alphonse?
    Common nicknames for Alphonse include Fonzi.
    Is Alphonse a boy's or a girl's name?
    Mostly a boy's name: 100% of the 10,590 US babies named Alphonse since 1880 were boys.
    When was Alphonse most popular?
    1918 in the United States, when 357 babies were named Alphonse, its highest rank at 288th.
    What are other spellings of Alphonse?
    Alfonse.
    Is Alphonse also a surname?
    Yes. Alphonse is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.