Elfred
One who prospersand journeys far on the path of life
Name Census estimates that about 0 living Americans carry the first name Elfred. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Elfred today is around 0 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Elfred births was 1920 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Elfred. 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.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Elfred. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
0
~ - Americans
Peak year
1920
5 babies that year
Average age
-
1920 SSA rank
#4,496
Tracked since 1920
Popularity
Elfred: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Elfred 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 Elfred during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1920s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Elfred
The given name Elfred is of Old English origin, derived from the elements "ælf" meaning "elf" and "ræd" meaning "counsel" or "advice". It is a compound name that can be interpreted as "elf counsel" or "advice from elves". This name traces its roots back to the Anglo-Saxon period in Britain, around the 5th to 11th centuries.
In ancient Anglo-Saxon folklore and mythology, elves were believed to be supernatural beings possessing magical powers and wisdom. The inclusion of "elf" in personal names was likely intended to bestow the qualities of wisdom, protection, and good fortune upon the bearer. The name Elfred reflects the cultural significance of elves and their perceived guidance in the lives of the Anglo-Saxons.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Elfred is found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings and population in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. This suggests that the name was already in use among the Anglo-Saxon population before the Norman Conquest.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Elfred. One of the most famous was Elfred the Great, who reigned as the King of Wessex from 871 to 899. He is renowned for his military victories against the Vikings, his promotion of education, and his legal reforms, which laid the foundations for the English common law system.
Another historical figure with the name Elfred was Elfred the Grammarian, a renowned scholar and writer who lived in the late 9th and early 10th centuries. He is best known for his Latin translation of the works of the ancient Greek philosopher Boethius, which helped preserve and disseminate classical knowledge during the Middle Ages.
In the 12th century, Elfred of Rievaulx was a Cistercian monk and chronicler who wrote a significant historical work titled "The Vita of Edward the Confessor". This account provided valuable insights into the life and reign of King Edward the Confessor, who ruled England from 1042 to 1066.
During the 13th century, Elfred of Sereshel was an English philosopher and theologian who made notable contributions to the development of scholastic philosophy and the study of natural sciences. He was particularly renowned for his work on optics and his commentary on Aristotle's writings.
In the 15th century, Elfred the Philosopher, also known as Elfred of Shareshill, was a renowned English scholar and logician. He was influential in the development of logical theories and the interpretation of Aristotelian logic during the late medieval period.
People
Elfred + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Elfred as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with E
Other first names starting with E with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Elfred: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Elfred?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 0 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Elfred 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 - US residents.
Is Elfred a common name?
We classify Elfred as "Very Rare". It ranks above 2.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Elfred most popular?
The single biggest year for Elfred was 1920, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Elfred is about 0 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 Elfred in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Elfred a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Elfred 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 Elfred still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Elfred 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 Elfred 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 have Elfred as a first name?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.