Gender: Masculine
Usage: English French
Pronounced: AL-fred

Derived from the Old English element ælf "elf" combined with ræd "counsel". Alfred the Great was a 9th-century king of Wessex who fought unceasingly against the Danes who lived in the northeast of England. He was also a scholar, and he translated many Latin books into Old English. His popularity helped to ensure the usage of this name even after the Norman conquest (when most Old English names were replaced by Norman ones).