Where does “Alfred” come from?
Alfred (Middle English) comes from Old English Ælfræd, from Old English ræd, from Proto-Germanic *rād, from Proto-Germanic rēdaz, from Proto-Indo-European Hréh₁dʰos, from Proto-Indo-European Hreh₁dʰ-, from Proto-Indo-European h₂reh₁-, from Proto-Indo-European h₂er- — to fit, to fix, to put together.
Ancestry of “Alfred”, step by step
Alfred traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Old English Ælfræd
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old English | Ælfræd | — |
| 2 | Old English | ræd | advice; decision; plan |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | *rād | — |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | rēdaz | advice, counsel |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | Hréh₁dʰos | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | Hreh₁dʰ- | to think; to arrange; to succeed, accomplish |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂reh₁- | to think, reason; to arrange |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂er- | to fit, to fix, to put together |