Alfred (name) facts for kids

Statue in Wantage, England, of Alfred the Great, king of England from 871 to 899.
Gender	Masculine
Name day	January 3 (Sweden, Norway)
Quick facts for kids Origin
Language(s)	English
Word/name	Germanic
Meaning	From the Anglo-Saxon name Ælfræd, formed from the Germanic words ælf, meaning "elf", and ræd, meaning "counsel"
Other names
Nickname(s)	Al, Alf, 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)

Alfred is a boy's name with a cool history! It comes from an old English name, Ælfræd. This name is made from two old German words: ælf, which means "elf", and ræd, which means "counsel" or "advice". So, you could say Alfred means "wise elf" or "elf counsel"!

It's a very old name that became popular in Europe. You'll still find people named Alfred in places like Great Britain, Africa, and Scandinavia. Sometimes, people shorten it to Al, Alf, Alfie, Fred, or Freddy. The name day for Alfred is January 3rd in both Norway and Sweden.

Famous People Named Alfred

Many important and interesting people throughout history have been named Alfred. Here are some of them:

Kings and Leaders

• Alfred the Great (848/849–899) was a famous king of Wessex, an old kingdom in England. He was known for defending his land against Viking invaders.
• Alfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (1844–1900) was the son of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. He was also a duke in Germany.
• Alfred Deakin (1856–1919) was the second prime minister of Australia. He played a big role in forming the country.
• Alf Landon (1887–1987) was an American politician. He served as the governor of Kansas.
• Al Smith (1873–1944) was an American statesman. He was a four-time governor of New York.

Creative Minds

• Alfred Bester (1913–1987) was an American science fiction writer. He wrote many popular stories.
• Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809–1892) was a very famous British poet. He wrote many well-known poems like "The Charge of the Light Brigade."
• Alfred North Whitehead (1861–1947) was an English philosopher and mathematician. He wrote important books about logic and mathematics.
• Alfred de Musset (1810–1857) was a French romantic poet and playwright.
• Alfred Jarry (1873–1907) was a French writer known for his unique and sometimes strange plays.

Sports Stars

• Alfred Aboya (born 1985) is a basketball player from Cameroon.
• Alfred Kipketer (born 1996) is a middle-distance runner from Kenya. He is a world youth champion.
• Alfred Neuland (1895–1966) was an Estonian weightlifter. He won an Olympic gold medal.
• Alfred Morris (born 1988) is an American football player. He is a running back.
• Alf Ramsey (1920–1999) was a famous English football manager. He led England to win the FIFA World Cup in 1966.

Artists and Entertainers

• Alfred Hitchcock (1899–1980) was a legendary English film director. He made many famous suspense and thriller movies.
• Alfred Molina (born 1953) is a British actor. You might have seen him in many movies and TV shows.
• Alfred Eisenstaedt (1898-1995) was a German-born American photographer. He took many iconic photos.
• Alfred Stieglitz (1864–1946) was an American photographer and art promoter. He helped introduce modern art to the United States.
• Alfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic (born 1959) is an American musician famous for his funny parody songs.
• Alfred Enoch (born 1988) is a British actor. He is known for his roles in movies and TV.
• Alfred Hill (1924-1992) was an English comedian. He was famous for his comedy show.

Scientists and Thinkers

• Alfred Marshall (1842–1924) was an English economist. He wrote important books about how economies work.
• Alfred Nobel (1833–1896) was a Swedish chemist and engineer. He invented dynamite and created the famous Nobel Prize awards.
• Alfred Russel Wallace (1823–1913) was a British naturalist and explorer. He developed ideas about evolution similar to Charles Darwin's.
• Alfred Wegener (1880–1930) was a German scientist. He developed the theory of continental drift, explaining how continents move over time.

Fictional Characters

• Alfred Pennyworth is the loyal butler to the DC Comics superhero Batman.
• Alfred Hedgehog is the main character of the animated TV series The Mysteries of Alfred Hedgehog.
• Alfred E. Neuman is the funny mascot and cover boy of Mad magazine.
• Alfred F. Jones is the personification of the United States of America in the anime Hetalia.
• Alfred, a penguin, is a major character in the Franco-Belgian comic strip Zig et Puce.

See also

• Alfredo

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