Alphonse
Masculine · “noble and ready”
Alphonse is the French form of a Visigothic king's name. Alfonso was carried by rulers of Castile, León, Aragon and Portugal across seven centuries — one of the most royal names in Europe.
How old is the name Alphonse?
Alphonse was already in use when US birth records began in 1880 — it is at least 145 years old. The typical Alphonse alive today was born around 1927, making them about 98 years old. About 3,100 people named Alphonse are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Alphonse most popular?
Alphonse peaked in 1913, reaching #277 nationally. Today it ranks #2516, 2,239 places below that high. See the whole 1913 chart.
Lists built from the same records:
Where it comes from
From Alfons to Alphonse
The story of Alphonse
Alfonso was the name of Visigothic and then Castilian, Leonese, Aragonese and Portuguese kings across seven centuries — thirteen kings of Castile and León alone. French made Alphonse, which became a standard French name. French and French-Canadian families brought it to America, and it peaked in the registers around 1900.
Meaningscholars disagree
noble and ready
From the Germanic elements behind Alfonso: the first is disputed between hathu, 'battle', and adal, 'noble'; the second is funs, 'ready' or 'eager'. The readings 'noble and ready' and 'battle-ready' both circulate. The second element is secure; the first is not.
How the name formed
- Alfons
- Alfonso
- Alphonse
Related forms: Alphonse · Alfonso · Alfonso · Alfons
Pronouncing Alphonse
al-FONS
Two syllables, stress on the second. French nasalises the ending; English sounds the n and the s.
Nicknames for Alphonse
Moderate
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1880
- Most boys named
- 1918357 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #277reached in 1913
- Change vs 2022
- −3.6%53 in 2025, from 55
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Alphonse in other languages
The same name elsewhere
- Alphonse in French — same name
- Alfonso in Spanish — related form
- Alfonso in Italian — related form
- Alfons in German — related form
Strongest US states over the last decade: California, Texas, New York.
Alphonses among us
people named Alphonse are estimated to be alive in the US today
About 1 boy in 32,228 born in 2025 was named Alphonse
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
What happens to a name after it peaks
Fashion outlook
Alphonse sits in the calm middle of the cycle — neither chasing a wave nor sliding off one. Middle-of-the-cycle names age slowly and predictably.
A scored estimate from 146 years of naming cycles — not a prophecy. Great names outlive statistics. How this is scored
Where Alphonse is headed
Alphonse should hold steady through 2030 — the curve is flat, and flat curves are the most predictable kind.
Medium confidence — fitted on official counts through 2025.
A damped-trend projection of the official birth data — a sketch of momentum, not a promise. Every name's forecast, ranked.
Alphonse beside its neighbors
The names ranked closest to Alphonse in 2025, in babies rather than position — the bars are to scale.
US boys given each name in 2025.
The trade-off
- A documented royal name across four Iberian kingdoms and seven centuries.
- It is standard in French, and Alfonso is standard in Spanish and Italian.
- Al is a completely ordinary short form available immediately.
- The first element of the compound is genuinely disputed.
- It reads as distinctly French in English-speaking countries.
- It is strongly period-coded to the turn of the last century.
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What they receive
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Alphonse
Masculine · #2516 in the U.S.
Frequently asked
- How many Alphonses are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 3,100 people named Alphonse are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Alphonse in 2025?
- Alphonse ranks #2516 among US boy names in 2025, with 53 babies given the name.
- How rare is the name Alphonse?
- About 1 in every 32,228 US boys born in 2025 was named Alphonse — 53 in all.
- Will my child share the name Alphonse with classmates?
- Alphonse will almost certainly be the only one in school.
Ranked beside Alphonse
Names sitting at a similar level of popularity right now.
Austen#2516 · Jariel#2516 · Saleem#2516 · Tahir#2516 · Stuart#2516 · Rye#2516 · Neymar#2516 · Jovi#2516
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Alphonse? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Alphonse and another name?
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US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
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