Surname Alferd - Meaning and Origin
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Alferd: What does the surname Alferd mean?
The last name Alferd is of Germanic origin and is derived from the masculine given names Alfhert, Alfi, and Adelphi. The name comprises the elements "adel" which means, "noble", and "frid" which is an abbreviation of "fridu" meaning "peace".
The name Alferd is thought to have first been established in the Holy Roman Empire, where the family has occupied a seat since ancient times. They then spread to areas throughout Germany, and beyond, including the Dutch, French, and English-speaking countries.
Throughout Europe, people with the Alferd surname can trace their ancestry back to Germanic ruling families. The family name is believed to be descended from many illustrious medieval families, such as the Kings of Saxony, the Folckersam family from Lüneburg, the Ehrenberg family, and the Haugwitz family from Austria. The name Alferd is associated with a long and distinguished genealogy, with many notable figures bearing the name throughout history.
The Alferd surname is also found in North America, where it may have been brought by German immigrants during the 16th and 17th centuries. It is linked to several politically prominent families in the United States, including the Alferds of Missouri, the Van Wycks of New York, and the Van Cleefs of Pennsylvania.
Today, the Alferd surname is common in Germany, but can be found in various countries across the world. It is likely to be linked with the many Alferd families who emigrated from Germany, seeking a better life abroad.
Order DNA origin analysisAlferd: Where does the name Alferd come from?
Alferd is a surname of German and French origin. It is derived from a medieval name deriving from the Old German elements "alf" and "rad" meaning "elf" and "counsel" respectively. Today, the surname Alferd is primarily concentrated along the French-German border region, including areas of East Prussia, the Rhineland, Baden-Wurttemberg, and Alsace-Lorraine. It is particularly common in Germany, where it is ranked 818th in popularity. Additionally, the surname is popular in France, with an estimated 3,500 families carrying the name.
Outside of Europe, the surname Alferd has been carried to many countries through immigration. It has been particularly common in the United States since the late 1800s, when it ranked as the 7,953rd most common name. Today, it is the 2,282th most common surname in the country. It is also found in Canada, Australia, and South Africa. In all of these countries, the surname is still rare, but may be found in pockets of settled families.
Variations of the surname Alferd
The surname Alferd is an uncommon spelling of a more common surname: Alfred. The original surname had Anglo-Saxon roots, deriving from the old English words "aeel" meaning "elf" and "friðu" meaning "peace". In the United States, the name was often shortened to "Fred" when in England, the spelling often changed to "Alfred." This popular surname has numerous variants and spelling variations, each with its own unique history.
Alfred and Alferd both have multiple spellings, such as Alferd, Alford, Alfred, Alfredo, Allford, Allfred, Allfrid, Alvord, and Alfried. The variant Alfred can also be found as Alfread, Alfride, Alfride, Alfrið, Alfryd, and Alfrydd.
In addition to the many spellings, there are multiple surnames of the same origin, including Alford, Allford, Allfred, Alvord, Halvorson, and Hallford.
As for the origin of the name, Alfred is believed to have originated as either an English or French name and is thought to have been adopted by the Normans after the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. Alfred is also thought to be a variant of the name Ælfred, which was the Old English form of the name.
No matter how the name is spelled or what variant is used, it is clear from the various spellings and variants that the surname Alferd/Alfred is a popular one with an impressive history.
Famous people with the name Alferd
- Alfred Wegener: German polar researcher, geophysicist, and meteorologist.
- Alfred Kinsey: pioneering American sexologist and biologist.
- Alfred Vanderbilt: American businessman and financier.
- Alfred Kubin: Austrian symbolist and genre painter.
- Alfred Stieglitz: American photographer and modern art promoter.
- Alfred Bernhard Nobel: Swedish chemist, engineer, innovator, and armaments manufacturer.
- Alfred Dreyfus: captain in the French army whose trial and conviction for treason in 1894 became one of the most tense political dramas in modern French history.
- Alfred Hitchcock: acclaimed English film director, producer, and screenwriter.
- Alfred Russel Wallace: English naturalist, explorer, geographer, anthropologist, and biologist.
- Alfred C. Kinsey: American biologist and sexologist.
- Alfred Lord Tennyson: British poet often regarded as one of the greatest of Victorian literature.
- Alfred Eisenstaedt: German-American photographer and photojournalist.
- Alfred Adler: influential Austrian medical doctor, psychotherapist, and founder of the school of individual psychology.
- Alfred Schutz: Austro-Hungarian philosopher and social psychologist.
- Alfred North Whitehead: British mathematician, logician, and philosopher.