boy's name
Alfie
AL-fee (English)
- Origin English
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 5
- Popularity Top 100 (E&W)
- Births on record 98,536
England and Wales
#16
2025 births
Alfie is a boy's name of Old English origin meaning "elf counsel." It is a pet form of Alfred, from ælf, elf, and ræd, counsel or advice, and is now registered as a full name in its own right across Britain.
- Alfie is a name of English origin.
- Peaked in England and Wales in 2008, when 5,566 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade in England and Wales.
- Today about 1 in 270 babies in England and Wales is given this name.
- First appears in birth records in 1996.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Alfie Over Time
Births per decade in England and Wales, 1990s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, which so far covers 2020 to 2025.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1990s | 2,649 |
| 2000s | 32,728 |
| 2010s | 39,998 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 13,142 |
What Alfie Means
Alfie means elf counsel — one advised by elves. In Anglo-Saxon thought elves were sources of supernatural insight, so the name claims wise or otherworldly counsel rather than anything whimsical.
Where Alfie Comes From
Alfie shortens Alfred, from the Old English Ælfræd, combining ælf, elf, with ræd, counsel. The elf element was common in Anglo-Saxon names — Ælfwine, Ælfgifu, Ælfric — because elves were understood as powerful beings whose favor conferred wisdom, not as small decorative creatures. Alfred the Great, king of Wessex from 871, kept the name alive through the Norman period when most Old English names were abandoned. Alfie emerged as a familiar form and became a registered name in its own right in Britain from the 1990s, helped by the 1966 film Alfie and its 2004 remake.
Alfie in Use
Birth records show Alfie peaking in 2008 and still rising, sitting at 16 in England and Wales while ranking past 2,000 in the United States. It belongs to the British cluster of pet-form names — Alfie, Archie, Freddie, Albie — that has almost no American equivalent.
How Popular Is Alfie?
In 2025, Alfie was given to 1,955 babies in England and Wales, ranking #16 that year. It is one of the most popular names in England and Wales.
Where Alfie Is Used
Figures for England and Wales leave out any name given to fewer than three babies in a year, so a gap means the name fell below that floor rather than went unused. Data & sources.
Names That Peaked Alongside Alfie
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents Who Like Alfie Also Like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Alfie over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
How to Say Alfie
- English AL-fee /ˈalfi/
1 nickname for Alfie
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Alfie in Other Languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling Names for Alfie
Names from the same era that do not rhyme or share an initial with Alfie — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common Questions About Alfie
What does the name Alfie mean?
Alfie means "elf counsel," from the Old English ælf, elf, and ræd, counsel.
Is Alfie short for Alfred?
It began as one, but Alfie is now registered independently far more often than Alfred in Britain.
Why does Alfie mean elf?
Anglo-Saxons treated elves as powerful beings whose favor brought wisdom and insight, so ælf was a compliment in a name, not a diminutive.
How popular is the name Alfie?
In 2025, Alfie was given to 1,955 babies in England and Wales, ranking #16 that year. It is one of the most popular names in England and Wales.
Is Alfie a girl's or a boy's name?
Alfie is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Alfie?
Alfie has 2 syllables.
When was Alfie most popular?
Alfie peaked in 2008, when 5,566 babies were given the name. It has been falling over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Alfie?
Alfie is usually shortened to Alf.
Is Alfie a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Alfie currently ranks #15 in England and Wales. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.