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Alfonse
How to Pronounce Alfonse
Pronounced al-FONS /ælˈfɒns/Medium
Meaning: Alfonse is a French/Italian spelling of Alphonsus, from Old German 'adal' (noble) and 'funs' (ready, eager), so 'noble and ready'.Medium
Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data
U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.
SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.
History & Origin
Alfonse is the French and Italian form of the Germanic name Alphonsus, from adal (noble) and funs (ready or eager). It shares its root and meaning with Alphonso, Alfonso and Alonzo, names carried by medieval Spanish and Portuguese kings.
In the United States Alfonse rose with early-twentieth-century immigration, peaked around 1917, and slowly declined across the century as families anglicized to Alphonse or dropped it entirely. It reads today as an ethnic-heritage name of the grandfather-and-great-grandfather generation.
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Frequently Asked
What does the name Alfonse mean?
Alfonse is a French and Italian form of Alphonsus, from Old German for 'noble and ready'.
How do you pronounce Alfonse?
It's said al-FONS /ælˈfɒns/ — two syllables, stress on the second.
Is Alfonse a boy or girl name?
Alfonse is used as a boy's name, a form of Alphonse/Alphonsus.
How popular is Alfonse?
Alfonse is an uncommon, old-fashioned boys' name tied to early-twentieth-century immigrant families.