Alfred

Alfred - A very unique male name

Alfred appeared on the charts for the first time in 1910 on position #38. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Alfred and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Alfred? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Alfred. The baby boy name Alfred was given to 235 baby boys in 2025, ranking #856 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 6,240 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Alfred peaked in popularity 98 years ago in 1928 on position 33.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Alfred, 1-5?

Alfred is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Alfred is currently topping the baby name charts in Connecticut at position #442 - and is the least popular in Florida at position #1,193.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Alfred is where you live.

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Alfred origin and meaning

Old English

From Ælfræd — ælf, 'elf', and ræd, 'counsel': 'elf counsel'

Alfred is one of the great survivors of Anglo-Saxon England: the name of Alfred the Great, the king who defended Wessex against the Vikings and promoted learning. His name's 'elf counsel' meant something like wisdom from the otherworld, and it was a compliment. Massively popular into the early 20th century, Alfred bottomed out and has lately been inching back up as grandpa names return.

Attested etymology

Alfred is a 6 letter name with 2 syllables.

To see famous people named Alfred, pop culture references for the name Alfred and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Alfred

We've found the following names that sound similar to Alfred, sorted by popularity.

Albert / Alberto / Alfredo / Alvaro / Alford / Albaro / Alverto / Albertus / Albeiro / Alferd /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Alfred

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Alfred a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Alfred?

2 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

AL-fred · /ˈælfrəd/

Around the world

• Alfredo (Spanish) — The Spanish and Italian form of the same name
• Alfred (German) — Used as-is in German
• Alfred (French) — Used as-is in French

Spellings and nicknames

• Alfredo — The Romance form — a separate name

Nicknames: AlfieFredAlFreddie

Famous bearers

• Alfred the Great — King of Wessex who resisted the Viking invasions and fostered English learning (849–899) Historical
• Alfred Hitchcock — Film director, the master of suspense (1899–1980) Historical
• Alfred Molina — Actor (b. 1953) Contemporary

Style

ClassicRoyal

Why parents choose it

Alfred now appeals as a distinguished revival pick — royal, scholarly and ready to shorten to the much jauntier Alfie or Freddie.

Worth knowing

• Its peak was in 1928, so to many ears it still belongs to grandfathers, despite its recent rise
• Children may meet it first as Batman's butler