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

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Royalty and politicians

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Writers and philosophers

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Athletes

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Businessmen

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Artists and entertainers

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Military people

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Scientists

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  • Alfred L. Elwyn (1804–1884), American physician and pioneer in the training and care of mentally disabled people
  • Alfred Douglas Hardy (1870–1958), Australian botanist
  • Alfred Hoche (1865–1943), German psychiatrist, eugenicist, used pseudonym Alred Erich for poetry publication
  • Alfred Kinsey (1894–1956), American entomologist, zoologist, and human sexuality researcher
  • Alfred Marshall (1842–1924), English economist
  • Alfred Newton (1829–1907), English zoologist and ornithologist
  • Alfred Nobel (1833–1896), Swedish chemist and engineer
  • Alfred Ploetz (1860–1940), German physician, biologist, Social Darwinist, and eugenicist
  • Alfred Stillé (1813-1900), American physician
  • Alfred Wilhelm Volkmann (1801–1877), German physiologist, anatomist, and philosopher
  • Alfred Russel Wallace (1823–1913), British naturalist, explorer, geographer, anthropologist, and biologist
  • Alfred Wegener (1880–1930), German earth and weather scientist

Fictional characters

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Other

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Surname

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c 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.