boy's name

Alf

  • Gender Boy
  • Syllables 1
  • Letters 3
  • Popularity Uncommon
  • Births on record 1,229

Alf is a boy's name with 1 syllable. In 1979 it was given to 5 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.

  • Peaked in 1916, when 38 babies were given the name.
  • It has largely dropped out of use.
  • 1 syllable, with the stress on syllable 1.

Alf over time

Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 1970s.

270
'80 '90 '00 '10 '20 '30 '40 '50 '60 '70
Show the numbers
Births named Alf by decade in the United States
Decade Births
1880s 84
1890s 78
1900s 83
1910s 270
1920s 231
1930s 157
1940s 88
1950s 65
1960s 42
1970s 32

How popular is Alf?

In 1979, Alf was given to 5 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.

Where Alf is used

England & Wales #2,616 9 in 2025
United States #6,837 5 in 1979

The bar shows how near the top of each country's list the name sits, on a scale where #1 fills the row and #1,000 is a sliver. The figures beside it are the real rank and the babies recorded that year.

US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.

Names that peaked alongside Alf

These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.

Parents who like Alf also like

Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Alf over the last century — the same taste, a different name.

Sibling names for Alf

Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Alf — the two things that make a sibling set grate.

Common questions about Alf

How popular is the name Alf?

In 1979, Alf was given to 5 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.

Is Alf a girl's or a boy's name?

Alf is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.

How many syllables are in Alf?

Alf has 1 syllable.

When was Alf most popular?

Alf peaked in 1916, when 38 babies were given the name. It has largely dropped out of use.

Is Alf a good name?

That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Alf currently ranks #2,616 in the United States. It has largely dropped out of use. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.