Given name & surname
Alf
“one who counsels the elves”·“elf”·“prepared for battle; eager and ready”
In English use, Alf is a diminutive of Alfred. One English interpretation is “one who counsels the elves.” Alf has a related form in ALV. One Norwegian interpretation is “elf.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
In English use, Alf is a diminutive of Alfred. One English interpretation is “one who counsels the elves.” Alf has a related form in ALV. One Norwegian interpretation is “elf.” In English use, Alf is a diminutive of Alfonso. One Italian interpretation is “prepared for battle; eager and ready.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
In English use, Alf is a diminutive of Alfred. An origin associated with Alfred is Old English. In English use, Alf is a diminutive of Alfonso. A possible origin is Germanic, although the derivation remains uncertain.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
In English use, Alf is used as a shortened form of Alfred.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Alf through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 1,130
- 1,130 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 1916
- 38 babies
- 2025
- 0
- Outside the ranked list
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- —
- Too few births to compare
By the numbers
The most recent published U.S. birth count for boys is 5 in 1979. Later missing counts do not mean the name went unused. Its largest published annual count for boys was 38 in 1916. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 423 as a first name in 2020; 405 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Alf’s family of names
In English usage, Alf is a diminutive of Alfred. In Swedish usage, Alf has a feminine form in Alva. In Finnish usage, Alf has a related form in Aadolf.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Alf has relatives in 7 languages.
7 related names in 7 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 6
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 3
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 2
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Alf
- Alf RamseyEnglish association football player and manager (1920-1999)
- Alf SjöbergSwedish film director (1903-1980)
- Alf LandonAmerican politician (1887–1987)
- Alf PrøysenNorwegian singer-songwriter and author (1914–1970)
- Alf AndersenNorwegian ski jumper (1906-1975)
- Alf PoierAustrian musician, writer, artist and singerborn 1967
- Alf ClausenAmerican film and television composer (1941—2025)
- Alf MartinsenNorwegian footballer (1911-1988)
- Alf KjellinSwedish actor and film director (1920–1988)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Alf, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Alpha
Alpha is used as a given name and a surname. One Greek interpretation is “the firstborn child; the first letter of the Greek alphabet.”
89% boys · 11% girls
Albin
“from the white hill white-” · “from the white hill; whiteskinned”
>99% boys
Abe
“father of a multitude; father of nations” · “father of a multitude (of nations)”
>99% boys
Arno
“an eagle-wolf”
>99% boys
Aloysius
Aloysius is a masculine given name from Occitan.
>99% boys
Alphonse
“prepared for battle; eager and ready”
>99% boys
Ralph
“wolt counsel”
>99% boys
Hale
“from the hall of light; a heroine” · “from the hall; a hero”
>99% boys