Alfie

Alfie began as an affectionate form of Alfred, whose Old English elements mean elf and counsel. The elves in this older vocabulary belong to early Germanic belief and folklore; the name is not a reference to a modern fictional character. Alfred the Great, the king associated with learning as well as government, gives the longer name a particularly enduring English history.

Alfie has also developed an independent life as a first name. The film Alfie and its later remake helped make the short form recognizable beyond family use, while British television supplied another familiar example in Alfie Moon. Choosing Alfie rather than Alfred keeps the approachable everyday form as the official name. Both options share the same historical root, but they need not serve the same role within a family.