Alfred

Did you know?

A few things about Alfred you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.

⭐ Famous Alfred

Alfred Nobel

Swedish chemist and inventor (1833–1896)

Choose Alfred and your child shares a first name with Alfred Nobel, a Swedish chemist and inventor. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Alfred, like who?” Alfred Nobel's Wikipedia article is available in 192 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.

Read about Alfred Nobel on Wikipedia ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Photo: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons

• 👶How commonAbout 1 in every 5,831 baby boys born in the US in 2025 was named Alfred, 293 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Alfred would very likely be the only one.
• 📜HistoryAlfred has been in use since at least 1880, the first year US birth records were kept. That's 145 years of Alfreds, and counting.
• 🏆Best yearIt was far more popular in 1882, when it ranked #32. Today it's #840, so it could be due a comeback.
• 🚀TrendAlfred has climbed 59 places in the US rankings over the last five years and now sits at #840. Fast risers like this often keep climbing, so expect to hear it more.
• 📍Where it's lovedAlfred is most popular in Connecticut, where it ranks #440, followed by Utah (#473) and Oregon (#529). It's in the top 1,000 in 17 states.
• 💬MeaningIn Old English, Alfred means “elf counsel”.

About the name Alfred

Alfred is a boy name of English origin meaning “elf counsel”. It has 6 letters and 1 syllable, starting with A and ending in “-red”. US birth records list Alfred for boys from 1880 to 2025, in 146 of those 146 years. Its best year was 1882, when it ranked #32 among boy names. In 2025 it ranked #840, with 293 babies.

Origin:English names