Elfie

♀ Girl

How to Pronounce Elfie

Pronounced EL-fee /ˈɛl.fi/Medium

Meaning: Elfie is an affectionate short form of longer Germanic names like Elfriede or Alfreda. Those names join 'elf' to elements meaning 'counsel' or 'strength,' so the full sense is something like 'elf-strength.' Elfie carries that heritage in a warm, nickname-sized package.Low

In 30 seconds: Elfie is a pet form of Elfriede or Alfreda, Germanic names built on 'elf' plus 'counsel' or 'strength.' It was rare and old, peaking in the nineteen-tens (said EL-fee).

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Origin LowGerman

MeaningElfie is an affectionate short form of longer Germanic names like Elfriede or Alfreda. Those names join 'elf' to elements meaning 'counsel' or 'strength,' so the full sense is something like 'elf-strength.' Elfie carries that heritage in a warm, nickname-sized package.

U.S. rank (1928)#4921 ↘ Falling

1928 U.S. births5 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)

Peak year1914

Total births (all-time)≈ 316

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

Elfie is a diminutive rather than a standalone coinage, tracing to Germanic names such as Elfriede and Alfreda that pair the element 'elf' with words for 'counsel' or 'strength.' It arrived with German-speaking families and was recorded most in the early twentieth century, a period when such fond short forms were often set down as the legal name.

Elfie was never common in the United States, given to only about twenty girls a year at its early peak in the nineteen-tens, and it had all but vanished by the late nineteen-twenties. A girl named Elfie then would be well over a hundred today.

Did you know? Elfie belongs to a whole family of turn-of-the-century German nickname-names brought to America by immigrant families, most of which had faded by the nineteen-thirties.

Overall data confidence 50%

References - Elfie — Diminutive of Elfriede/Alfreda; Germanic 'elf' + 'counsel/strength'

Variations

ElfriedeAlfredaElfaElva

Nicknames

ElElf

Famous Bearers

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If you like Elfie…

Alfreda— a parent name behind Elfie

Elva— a like short Germanic girl's name

Frieda— shares the German heritage and era

Elsie— a similar warm vintage nickname-name

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By themerare vintage german nickname

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Elfie mean?

It is a pet form of Germanic names like Elfriede or Alfreda, joining 'elf' to elements meaning 'counsel' or 'strength.'

How do you pronounce Elfie?

It is said EL-fee, two syllables with the stress on the first.

Is Elfie a boy or girl name?

Elfie is used here as a girl's name.

How popular is Elfie?

It has always been rare in the United States, given to only about twenty girls a year at its peak in the nineteen-tens.