Alfy
A diminutive form of Alfred, derived from the Old English name meaning "elf counsel".
Name Census estimates that about 13 living Americans carry the first name Alfy. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Alfy today is around 61 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Alfy births was 1966 (15 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Alfy. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Alfy with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Alfy. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
13
~ 1 in 26,365,718 Americans
Peak year
1966
15 babies that year
Average age
61
years old
1966 SSA rank
#2,043
Tracked since 1966
Popularity
Alfy: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Alfy by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Alfy during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 15 | 0 | 15 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Alfy
The given name Alfy is believed to have its origins in the Germanic languages, specifically from the Old English and Old Norse words "ælf" or "alfr," meaning "elf" or "supernatural being." This name likely emerged during the early medieval period, around the 5th to 11th centuries, when pagan beliefs in elves and other mythical creatures were still prevalent in parts of Europe.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Alfy can be found in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles, a collection of annals chronicling the history of the Anglo-Saxons in Britain. The name appears as a variant spelling of "Ælfric," which was a common name among the Anglo-Saxons.
In the 9th century, there was an influential Anglo-Saxon scholar and abbot named Ælfric of Eynsham (c. 955 - c. 1010), who is known for his influential works on grammar, homilies, and biblical translations. His name, which is a variant of Alfy, highlights the name's early usage among the Anglo-Saxons.
During the Middle Ages, the name Alfy gained popularity across various Germanic regions, including England, Germany, and Scandinavia. One notable individual from this period was Alfi of Wearmouth (c. 650 - c. 720), an Anglo-Saxon monk and scholar who is credited with the translation of several Latin works into Old English.
In the 16th century, there was a German composer and musician named Alferius Pertholdus (c. 1490 - c. 1560), who is known for his contributions to the development of Renaissance music. His name, which is a variation of Alfy, demonstrates the name's continued usage in German-speaking regions.
Another notable figure with the name Alfy was Alferius Vair (c. 1642 - c. 1718), a French dramatist and poet who wrote several plays and poems during the late 17th and early 18th centuries. His name reflects the name's presence in France during this period.
People
Alfy + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Alfy as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with A
Other first names starting with A with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Alfy: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Alfy?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 13 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Alfy going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 26,365,718 US residents.
Is Alfy a common name?
We classify Alfy as "Very Rare". It ranks above 33.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 15 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Alfy most popular?
The single biggest year for Alfy was 1966, when 15 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Alfy is about 61 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Alfy in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Alfy a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Alfy in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Alfy still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Alfy in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Alfy can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are called Alfy?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.