Elfrieda

Meaning of Elfrieda

Elfrieda is the Anglicized form of the German Elfriede, itself rooted in the Old English compound Ælfþryð—“ælf” meaning elf and “þryð” meaning strength. Historically associated with early medieval English royalty (notably Queen Ælfthryth, consort of Edgar the Peaceful), the name carries a quiet air of folklore-meets-fortitude: equal parts woodland sprite and iron resolve. In the United States, Elfrieda rose with steady if modest momentum during the late Victorian boom in Germanic revival names, cresting in 1915 at a rank of 512 before tracing a gentle downward slope and exiting the national top 1,000 after 1959. The statistical arc suggests a cohort prevalence concentrated among first- and second-generation German-American families, with later attrition as assimilation and modern tastes took hold. Today the name sits in antique repose, poised for rediscovery by parents who favor vintage syllables and understated mythic echoes over headline popularity. Pronounced EL-free-dah, Elfrieda offers an etymological nod to hidden strength—an elf’s resilience in a thoroughly human world.

Pronunciation

German

• Pronunced as EL-free-dah (/ˈɛlfriːdə/)

• Freda
• Frieda
• Frida
• Alfreda
• Elfrida
• Elfreda
• Alfrida