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Alfonso

♂ Boy

Pronounced al-FON-soh /ælˈfɒn.soʊ/High

Meaning: Noble and ready; ready for battle; from Germanic Adalfuns (adal: noble + funs: eager, ready)High

In 30 seconds: The Spanish form of the Germanic name Adalfuns, meaning 'noble and ready.' Borne by thirteen kings of Spain and Portugal, it is one of the royal names of the Iberian Peninsula.

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Origin HighSpanish, Germanic

MeaningNoble and ready; ready for battle; from Germanic Adalfuns (adal: noble + funs: eager, ready)

U.S. rank (2025)#1012 ↘ Falling

2025 U.S. births223 boys (0.01% of U.S. boys)

Peak year1991

Total births (all-time)≈ 41,461

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

Alfonso is the Spanish and Italian form of the Visigothic Germanic name Adalfuns (noble + ready/eager). The Visigoth rulers of Spain bore variants of this name, and it became a royal name across the Iberian Peninsula through the medieval kingdoms of Asturias, Leon, Castile, and Portugal.

Alfonso is widely used in Spanish-speaking communities. It ranked #920 for boys in 2024.

Did you know? Alfonso XIII (1886–1941) was the last King of Spain before the Second Republic — his abdication in 1931 and the subsequent Spanish Civil War make the name Alfonso entwined with one of the 20th century's most dramatic political stories.

Overall data confidence 91%

Behind the Name — Alfonso — Germanic/Visigothic etymologyU.S. Social Security Administration — popularity data

Variations

AlphonsoAlonsoAlfonso

Nicknames

FonsoAlAlfi

Famous Bearers

★Alfonso XIII of Spain (1886–1941)
King of Spain before the Second Republic (1931). His reign saw the Spanish-American War, World War I, and the political upheaval that ended the monarchy.

If you like Alfonso…

Alonso— the shorter form of the same name, used in Iberian tradition

Gonzalo— Spanish masculine name with the same royal Iberian heritage

Rodrigo— Spanish Visigothic name with the same royal Iberian feel

Ernesto— Spanish masculine name with the same three-syllable dignified character

Vicente— Spanish masculine name in the same formal Iberian register

Explore names like Alfonso

By themespanish germanic three-syllable royal iberian visigothic

By meaningWarrior Royal / Noble

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Alfonso mean?

Alfonso means 'noble and ready,' from Visigothic Germanic Adalfuns (adal: noble + funs: eager, ready for battle).

How do you pronounce Alfonso?

It's said al-FON-soh — three syllables, stress on the second.

Is Alfonso a boy or girl name?

Alfonso is used as a boys' name.

How popular is Alfonso?

Alfonso ranked #920 for U.S. boys in 2024.