Alphons
Of French origin meaning "noble" or "ready".
Name Census estimates that about 4 living Americans carry the first name Alphons. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Alphons today is around 89 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Alphons births was 1916 (11 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Alphons. 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 Alphons with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Alphons is about 89 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Alphons' were born before 1947.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Alphons. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
4
~ 1 in 85,688,585 Americans
Peak year
1916
11 babies that year
Average age
89
years old
1938 SSA rank
#3,542
Tracked since 1891
Popularity
Alphons: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Alphons from the 1890s through to the 1930s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1910s, with 57 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1910s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Alphons 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 Alphons during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Alphons
The name Alphons has its origins in the German language and can be traced back to the 8th century. It is a variant of the name Alphonse, which is derived from the Old German name Adalfuns, meaning "noble and ready". The name is also related to the Old High German name Adolf, which means "noble wolf".
In the Middle Ages, the name Alphons gained popularity in various parts of Europe, particularly in the Holy Roman Empire and the region that is now Germany. It was often associated with nobility and aristocracy, as many nobles and rulers bore this name during that time period.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Alphons can be found in the writings of the Venerable Bede, an English monk and scholar who lived in the 7th and 8th centuries. He mentioned an individual named Alphons in his work "Ecclesiastical History of the English People".
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Alphons. For example, Alphons I (1073-1109) was the King of Aragon and Navarre in the late 11th century. He was known for his military campaigns against the Moors in Spain and his efforts to consolidate power in his kingdom.
Another prominent figure was Alphons X (1221-1284), also known as Alphons the Wise, who was the King of Castile and León in the 13th century. He was a renowned patron of the arts and sciences and made significant contributions to the development of the Spanish language and literature.
In the field of literature, Alphons Daudet (1840-1897) was a French novelist and playwright who is best known for his works such as "Letters from My Windmill" and "The Nabob". He was a prominent figure in the French literary scene during the 19th century.
Alphons Mucha (1860-1939) was a Czech artist and painter who is renowned for his Art Nouveau style and his iconic poster designs. His works, such as the "Slav Epic" series, have become iconic representations of the Art Nouveau movement.
Finally, Alphons Auer (1813-1869) was a German-American painter and lithographer who was active in the mid-19th century. He is particularly known for his landscapes and panoramic views of cities in the United States.
People
Alphons + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Alphons 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
Alphons: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Alphons?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 4 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Alphons 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 85,688,585 US residents.
Is Alphons a common name?
We classify Alphons as "Very Rare". It ranks above 6.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 90 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Alphons most popular?
The single biggest year for Alphons was 1916, when 11 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Alphons is about 89 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 Alphons in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Alphons a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Alphons 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 Alphons still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Alphons 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 Alphons 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 Alphons?
Find out how many Americans are named Alphons on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.