Total births
243,861
Boys' name · since 1880
Alfred
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 243,861 babies named Alfred, peaking in 1928. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #837
- among boys today
- 243,861
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 94%
- more common than other boys
Alfred currently ranks #837 among boys' names in America, with 243,861 babies recorded since 1880.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Alfred has been recorded 243,861 times among boys since 1880, currently ranked #837 nationally and more common than 94% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 1920s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #837 among boys today
- 243,861 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 94% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Alfred is currently the #837 boys' name in America, more common than 94% of boys - 243,861 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #837
- among boys today
- 243,861
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 94%
- more common than other boys
Alfred vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#837
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 94% of names given to boys today.
1920s
Peak decade
21% of everyone ever named Alfred was born in this single decade.
1928
Single peak year
6,252 babies were named Alfred in 1928 - its busiest year on record.
How Alfred compares
243,861 Top 1% higher than 99% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Alfred's all-time total is 664x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Alfred | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 243,861 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 6,252 | 23 | 22,252 |
Alfred's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Alfred's SSA record in two at 1953 and the more recent half accounts for 28% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 72%, consistent with a name more common in the past than in recent years. Its calmest year was 2013, with only 208 births recorded -- set against the 1928 peak of 6,252, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Alfred at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
1928
Current rank
#837
Active since
1880
Alfred popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1928)
- 6,252
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Alfred popularity over time - girls
1,292 total births recorded since 1898 (Alfred as girls' name)
Alfred by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Alfred's strongest decade.
50,156 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 21% of all-time use.
Alfred births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 4,837
1880s
4,837 births
- 1890s 5,373
1890s
5,373 births
- 1900s 6,356
1900s
6,356 births
- 1910s
1910s
32,635 births
- 1920s
1920s
50,156 births
- 1930s
1930s
34,392 births
- 1940s
1940s
31,998 births
- 1950s
1950s
29,752 births
- 1960s 18,656
1960s
18,656 births
- 1970s 10,531
1970s
10,531 births
- 1980s 7,452
1980s
7,452 births
- 1990s 4,727
1990s
4,727 births
- 2000s 2,924
2000s
2,924 births
- 2010s 2,442
2010s
2,442 births
- 2020s 1,630
2020s
1,630 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 50,156 births (21% of all-time use).
How Alfred compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Alfred's total volume
Alfred vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Alfred by state
Where Alfred concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 30,110 | 12.3% |
| #2 | California | | 16,706 | 6.9% |
| #3 | Pennsylvania | | 14,970 | 6.1% |
| #4 | Texas | | 13,933 | 5.7% |
| #5 | Massachusetts | | 12,465 | 5.1% |
| #6 | New Jersey | | 10,172 | 4.2% |
| #7 | Illinois | | 8,943 | 3.7% |
| #8 | Ohio | | 7,286 | 3.0% |
New York share of Alfred's total US births 12.3%
Even split
30,110 of 243,861 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Alfred appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Alfred? ▼
243,861 babies have been named Alfred since 1880. It currently ranks #837 among boys. The peak year was 1928 with 6,252 births.
When was Alfred most popular? ▼
Alfred was most popular in the 1920s decade with 50,156 total births. The single peak year was 1928.
Where is Alfred most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Alfred are New York (30,110 births), California (16,706 births), Pennsylvania (14,970 births).
How long has the name Alfred been used? ▼
Records for Alfred go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Alfred? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Alfredo, Alfonso, Alfonzo, Alford, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Alfred's data
- Alfred's decade-level peak was the 1920s (50,156 total births); usage has since declined to 1,630 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Alfreds (30,110 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Alfred
Nearby Names Like Alfred
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Alfred
Alfredo Boy
#780 57,075 births
Alfonso Boy
#923 41,464 births
Alfonzo Boy
#4437 5,783 births
Alford Boy
4,790 births
Alfonza Boy
1,714 births
Compare Alfred side by side: Alfred vs Alfredo Alfred vs Alfonso Alfred vs Alfonzo
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Alfred
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Alfred: #837 Boys' Name - 243,861 Births, Peak 1928." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/alfred. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Alfred draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.