Boy · #840 in 2026

Alfred

Name: Popularity of the name Alfred in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Alfred, baby name, popularity, U.S., SSA, rankings

Alfred is a masculine given name of English origin, a modern descendant of the Anglo-Saxon name Ælfrǣd, formed from the Germanic words ælf, meaning "elf", and rǣd, meaning "counsel". Its feminine form originating from Romance languages is Alfreda, and diminutives of Alfred include Al, Alf, Alfy, Alfie, Fred, and Freddy.

Current Rank

#840

Peak Rank

#32 (1928)

Total Babies

244K

5-Yr Trend

+9%

1898

First Year

1994

Last Year

1931

Peak Year

#1126

Peak Rank

Total Count

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Alfred

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

The Story of Alfred

Alfred first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1880, with 469 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1928, when 6,252 Alfreds were born — ranking #33 that year. As of 2026, Alfred ranks #840 for baby boys with 292 births, gradually rising (+9%). In total, more than 244K Alfreds have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Names that sound like Alfred

Phonetically similar names — useful when Alfred is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Alford
Aelfred
Alfreds
Alphard
Allred
Alfreda
Alfredo
Alfre
Affrayed
Ilford
Elford
Alpharetta

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Alfred

What does the name Alfred mean?

How popular is Alfred in 2026?

In 2026, Alfred ranks #840 among boys' names in the U.S., with 292 babies given the name that year.

When was Alfred most popular?

Alfred reached its peak popularity in 1928, ranking #32 that year with 6,252 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Alfred most popular?

Alfred has historically been most popular in Hawaii, Rhode Island, Delaware. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Alfred.

Is Alfred a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Alfred is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.

What names go well with Alfred?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Alfred include Elmer, Miles, Keith. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Alfred

Alfred is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 244K births in the dataset. Alfred's peak popularity came in 1928 when it ranked #32. Use the chart and map above to compare Alfred's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.