Alfred (name)

Alfred is a masculine given name of English origin, a modern descendant of the Anglo-Saxon name Ælfræd (Old English pronunciation: [ˈæɫvræːd]), formed from the Germanic words ælf, meaning "elf", and ræd, meaning "counsel".[1][2] Its feminine form originating from Romance languages is Alfreda, and diminutives of Alfred include Al, Alf, Alfy, Alfie, Fred, and Freddy. After the 11th-century Norman Conquest, many variants of the name emerged, most of which were not carried to the modern day.[1] Today, Alfred is still in regular usage in a number of different regions, especially Great Britain, Africa, Scandinavia, and North America. It is one of the few Old English names that came into common use in Europe.[1] Its name day is the 3rd of January both in Norway and Sweden.[3]

Statue in Wantage, England, of Alfred the Great, king of England from 871 to 899.
GenderMasculine
Name dayJanuary 3 (Sweden, Norway)
Origin
Language(s)English
Word/nameGermanic
MeaningFrom the Anglo-Saxon name Ælfræd, formed from the Germanic words ælf, meaning "elf", and ræd, meaning "counsel"
Other names
Nickname(s)Al, Alf, Alfy, Alfie, Fred, Freddy
Cognate(s)Ælfræd (Anglo-Saxon)
Alfreð (Icelandic)
Alfréd (Hungarian, Slovakian)
Alfred (Catalan)
Alfredo (Italian, Portuguese, Spanish)
Alfrēds (Latvian)
Alfredas (Lithuanian)
Alfredi (Albanian)
Fredo (diminutive of Alfredo)

Given name

Royalty and politicians

Writers and philosophers

Athletes

Businessmen

Artists and entertainers

Military people

Scientists

Fictional characters

Other

Surname

See also

References

  1. Hanks, Patrick; Hardcastle, Kate; Hodges, Flavia (1991). "Alfred". Oxford Dictionary of First Names (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press. p. 9. ISBN 978-0-19-861060-1. Retrieved 3 September 2022 via Internet Archive.
  2. Campbell, Mike. "Meaning, origin and history of the name Alfred". Behind the Name. Retrieved 2018-12-03.
  3. Nancy L. Coleman; Olav Veka (2010). A Handbook of Scandinavian Names. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin Press. p. 150. ISBN 9780299248338.
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