Given name & surname · also Italian, Germanic
Alfonso
“prepared for battle; eager and ready”
Alfonso is used as a given name and a surname. One Italian interpretation is “prepared for battle; eager and ready.”
Original ItalianAlonzo
Meaning & origin
What it means
One Italian interpretation is “prepared for battle; eager and ready.”
Where it comes from
A possible origin is Germanic, although the derivation remains uncertain.
How it developed
One proposed formation combines adal (“noble”) and funs (“ready, prompt”).
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1881. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Alfonso through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 41,579
- 41,464 boys · 115 girls
- Most popular year
- 1991
- 580 babies
- 2025
- 223
- #1,012 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +3%
- Steady
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 223 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 1,012 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 2.9% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 574 in 1991. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (62). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 49,412 as a first name in 2020; 11,947 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.
Alfonso’s family of names
In French usage, Alfonso has a diminutive in Al. Alfonso shares a linguistic root with Alphonse. In English usage, Alfonso has a related form in Alonzo.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Alfonso has relatives in 37 languages. Lines run from its Proto-Germanic roots to each of them.
39 related names in 37 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 31
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Di Fonzoshort form · Italian
- Fofòdiminutive · Italian
- Alonzovariant · English, Italian
- Alonsovariant · Spanish, English
- Alfiediminutive · English
- Alphonsevariant · French, English
- Alfonzovariant · English, Esperanto
- Alphonsovariant · English
Show 23 moreShow fewer
- Aldiminutive · French
- Alphonsusvariant · Latin
- Alphonzovariant · English
- Ponchodiminutive · Spanish
- Alfydiminutive · English
- Alfdiminutive · English
- Alphonsvariant · German
- Alfonsevariant
- Alfonsvariant · Polish, German
- Afonsovariant · Portuguese, Galician
- Fonsíndiminutive · Asturian
- Fonsucudiminutive · Asturian
- Alfonsinhodiminutive · Portuguese
- Ponchingdiminutive · Tagalog
- Ponsingdiminutive · ceb
- Fonsodiminutive · Asturian
- Fonzidiminutive · English
- Alphonzvariant
- Aifonzvariant
- Alfonsinovariant
- Alfonsinvariant
- Affonsovariant
- Alfonsuvariant · Asturian, Sardinian
Spellings & scripts 3
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 19
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Alfonso
- Alfonso XIIIKing of Spain from 1886 to 1931 (1886–1941)
- Alfonso X of CastileKing of Castile from 1252 to 12841221–1284
- Alfonso CuarónMexican filmmaker (born 1961)
- Alfonso XIIking of Spain from 1874 to 18851857–1885
- Alfonso García RoblesMexican diplomat and politician (1911-1991)
- Alfonso V of AragonKing of Aragon from 1416 to 14581396–1458
- Alphonsus LiguoriItalian Catholic bishop and saint (1696-1787)
- Alfonso VI of León and CastileKing of León (1065 to 1109), of Castile (1072 to 1109), and of Galicia (1071 to 1109)1040–1109
- Alfonso VIII of CastileKing of Castile (1155-1214)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
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