Alfonso
Alfonso was the 1012th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 223 babies. Its best year was 1929, when it ranked 294th; the most babies were born in 1991 (574). Over the last ten years it has moved down 216 places. More babies were named Alfonso in the 1990s than in any other decade.
Meaning "noble" + "ready" · Spanish, Germanic
Say it al-FAHN-zoh /ælˈfɑnzoʊ/
- Rank in 2025
- #1,012 boys, down 5 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 223boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 1991574 babies
- Total since 1880
- 41,579babies recorded
What does the name Alfonso mean?
Alfonso is the Spanish and Italian form of Alphonse, a Germanic name brought to Spain by the Visigoths. DMNES explains it from Gothic words for "noble" and "ready, prepared", and notes the many kings of León, Castile, Aragon and Portugal named Alfonso. It has been in steady use in the US since the late 19th century.
*aþal (Gothic, “noble”)*funs (Gothic, “ready, eager”)
How sure is this? Probable. The Gothic elements are reconstructed; other analyses exist.
Related names: Alphonse, Alphonso, Alonso, Fonzie.
See also: Germanic names, names that mean noble.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Alfonso', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Alphonse', DMNES (Durham University)
- Wikipedia, 'Alfonso (surname)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation)
Nicknames for Alfonso
The usual nicknames for Alfonso are Poncho and Al. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 boys named Alfonso in the last five years, 5 were named Al, against 8 twenty years earlier.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Boys, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poncho | Traditional | — | — |
| Al · also for Alistair, Alexander, Alan | Traditional | #6,822 | 59 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are boys given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Alfonsos go by each one.
Alfonso popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 115 since 1922.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,012 | 223 |
| 2020 | #1,007 | 209 |
| 2010 | #746 | 304 |
| 2000 | #491 | 476 |
| 1990 | #422 | 537 |
| 1980 | #381 | 448 |
| 1970 | #396 | 408 |
| 1960 | #406 | 383 |
| 1950 | #358 | 356 |
| 1940 | #345 | 272 |
| 1930 | #295 | 373 |
| 1920 | #349 | 284 |
| 1910 | #318 | 60 |
| 1900 | #375 | 35 |
| 1890 | #998 | 5 |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Alfonso, counting every spelling?
Alfonso is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #919 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #1,012 for Alfonso on its own. Together these spellings went to 244 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alfonso | 223 | #1,012 | 1,215 |
| Alphonso | 21 | #4,712 | 98 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Alfonso?
223 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Alfonso (0.06 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Alfonso born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 38 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Alfonso.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Alfonso?
About 28,700 people born in the US named Alfonso are alive today, with a median age of 38; half are between 24 and 57. That makes Alfonso mostly worn by adults in their thirties to fifties.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Alfonso by state
How common Alfonso was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Arizona (2.8×), California (2.5×), Texas (2.3×), Illinois (1.6×). In 33 states fewer than five boys a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Alfonso: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Alfonso, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Alfonso · Sibling names for Alfonso
Questions about the name Alfonso
What does Alfonso mean?
Alfonso means “"noble" + "ready"” (Spanish, Germanic origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Alfonso?
Alfonso was the 1012th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 223 babies. Its best year was 1929, when it ranked 294th; the most babies were born in 1991 (574). Over the last ten years it has moved down 216 places. More babies were named Alfonso in the 1990s than in any other decade.
Is Alfonso a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Alfonso in the US.
Where is Alfonso most popular?
In 2021–2025, Alfonso was most common in Arizona (0.39 per 1,000 boys), followed by California and Texas.