Names That Mean Elf

Elves always felt like the keepers of hidden wonders to me. They live at the edge of myths, forests, and old legends, appearing just long enough to leave a story behind. That sense of mystery is what makes elf-inspired names feel so enchanting.

I imagine moonlit woods, ancient magic, graceful figures, and knowledge passed down through ages. These names carry imagination, elegance, and a touch of something that feels beyond the ordinary world. The atmosphere is magical and timeless.

In the list below, you will find baby girl and boy names inspired by elves, folklore, forest magic, mythical beauty, and legendary wisdom. Some sound delicate and mystical, while others feel noble, ethereal, and full of wonder.

Boy Names That Mean Elf

Alf

Origin: Old Norse
Meaning: Elf
Description: The direct Old Norse word for elf, used as a given name across Scandinavia for centuries.

Alfr

Origin: Old Norse
Meaning: Elf
Description: The original Old Norse form of Alf; appears in Viking-age sagas as a royal name.

Alfred

Origin: Old English
Meaning: Elf counsel; wise elf
Description: Combines “ælf” (elf) and “ræd” (counsel); borne by King Alfred the Great of England.

Alvin

Origin: Old English
Meaning: Elf friend; noble elf
Description: From “ælf” (elf) and “wine” (friend); a warm, friendly elf name with deep English roots.

Alvín

Origin: Old Norse
Meaning: Elf friend
Description: The Norse variant of Alvin; used across Iceland and Scandinavia historically.

Aelfric

Origin: Old English
Meaning: Elf ruler; elf power
Description: Combines “ælf” (elf) and “ric” (ruler/power); a notable Anglo-Saxon scholar bore this name.

Aelfwine

Origin: Old English
Meaning: Elf friend
Description: An authentic Anglo-Saxon name meaning elf friend; J.R.R. Tolkien used this name in his early writings.

Aelfred

Origin: Old English
Meaning: Elf counsel
Description: The original Old English spelling of Alfred; the purest form of this elf name.

Alberic

Origin: Old High German
Meaning: Elf ruler; elf king
Description: From “alb” (elf) and “ric” (ruler); the name of the dwarf king in Germanic mythology.

Alberich

Origin: Old High German
Meaning: Elf king; elf power
Description: The original Germanic form of Alberic; Alberich is the powerful dwarf-elf in Wagner’s Ring Cycle.

Aubrey

Origin: Old French/Germanic
Meaning: Elf ruler
Description: From the Germanic “Alberich”; a classic name meaning elf ruler that crossed into French and English use.

Avery

Origin: Old English/Germanic
Meaning: Elf counsel; elf ruler
Description: Evolved from Alfred and Alberich roots; now widely used as both a given name and surname.

Elvio

Origin: Latin/Italian
Meaning: Elf; light elf
Description: An Italian name derived from the Latin “elvus” connected to the elf root; used across Italy and Spain.

Elvin

Origin: Old English
Meaning: Elf friend; noble elf
Description: A variant of Alvin with the “el” elf prefix fully intact; strong and melodic.

Elvis

Origin: Old Norse
Meaning: All-wise elf
Description: Believed to derive from the Old Norse “Álvíss” meaning all-wise; the name of a wise giant/elf in Norse myth.

Álvíss

Origin: Old Norse
Meaning: All-wise elf
Description: A character in Norse mythology; a dwarf/elf figure known for vast wisdom.

Alfhart

Origin: Old High German
Meaning: Elf strong; hard as an elf
Description: Combines “alf” (elf) and “hart” (hard/strong); a rare but authentic Germanic warrior name.

Alfher

Origin: Old High German
Meaning: Elf army; elf warrior
Description: Combines “alf” (elf) and “her” (army/warrior); found in early medieval German records.

Alfric

Origin: Old English
Meaning: Elf power
Description: A simpler form of Aelfric; used in early English church and royal records.

Alfgeir

Origin: Old Norse
Meaning: Elf spear
Description: Combines “alfr” (elf) and “geir” (spear); a bold Viking name for a warrior elf.

Alfkell

Origin: Old Norse
Meaning: Elf cauldron; elf sacrifice
Description: Combines “alfr” (elf) and “ketill” (cauldron); tied to Norse ritual and elf worship traditions.

Alvar

Origin: Old Norse/Germanic
Meaning: Elf warrior; elf army
Description: From “alfr” (elf) and “arr/herr” (warrior/army); used widely across Scandinavia and Finland.

Alvaro

Origin: Spanish/Germanic
Meaning: Elf warrior; guardian elf
Description: The Spanish form of Alvar; one of the most popular elf-meaning names in the Spanish-speaking world.

Alvar (Finnish)

Origin: Finnish
Meaning: Elf warrior
Description: Deeply embedded in Finnish naming tradition; the architect Alvar Aalto is the most famous bearer.

Girl Names That Mean Elf

Alva

Origin: Old Norse
Meaning: Elf
Description: The feminine form of Alf/Alfr; a sleek, simple name meaning elf used across Scandinavia.

Alfa

Origin: Old Norse
Meaning: Elf
Description: A direct feminine elf name from Old Norse tradition; bright and minimal.

Alfhild

Origin: Old Norse
Meaning: Elf battle
Description: Combines “alfr” (elf) and “hildr” (battle); a legendary Norse shield-maiden bore this name.

Alfhildr

Origin: Old Norse
Meaning: Elf battle
Description: The original Old Norse form of Alfhild; appears in Scandinavian sagas as a fierce warrior woman.

Aelfa

Origin: Old English
Meaning: Elf
Description: The feminine Old English form of the elf root “ælf”; rare and beautifully ancient.

Aelfflaed

Origin: Old English
Meaning: Elf beauty; elf splendor
Description: Combines “ælf” (elf) and “flaed” (beauty/splendor); borne by an Anglo-Saxon princess and abbess.

Aelfgifu

Origin: Old English
Meaning: Elf gift
Description: Combines “ælf” (elf) and “gifu” (gift); a royal Anglo-Saxon name borne by queens of England.

Aelswith

Origin: Old English
Meaning: Elf strength
Description: Combines “ælf” (elf) and “swith” (strong); name of the wife of King Alfred the Great.

Elvina

Origin: Old English
Meaning: Elf friend; noble elf
Description: The feminine form of Elvin; elegant and romantically vintage.

Elvira

Origin: Gothic/Germanic
Meaning: Elf counsel; all-true elf
Description: From “alb” (elf) and “ira” (counsel/true); a sweeping, dramatic name used across Spain and Latin America.

Alvina

Origin: Old English/Germanic
Meaning: Elf friend
Description: The feminine form of Alvin; a soft, vintage name with a strong elf meaning.

Alwine

Origin: Old High German
Meaning: Elf friend
Description: The Old German feminine form of Alvin/Aelfwine; used in 19th-century Germany and Austria.

Aubrey

Origin: Old French/Germanic
Meaning: Elf ruler
Description: Originally a masculine name from Alberich, now predominantly used as a girl’s name meaning elf ruler.

Aubrette

Origin: French/Germanic
Meaning: Little elf ruler
Description: A French diminutive of Aubrey meaning “little elf ruler”; dainty and distinctive.

Albrade

Origin: Old High German
Meaning: Elf counsel
Description: An Old High German feminine name combining “alb” (elf) and “rad” (counsel).

Elva

Origin: Old English/Old Norse
Meaning: Elf
Description: A sleek feminine elf name with roots in both Old English and Old Norse traditions.

Elvie

Origin: Old English
Meaning: Elf
Description: A sweet diminutive form of Elva or Elvina meaning elf; used as both nickname and formal name.

Alfrun

Origin: Old Norse
Meaning: Elf secret; elf mystery
Description: Combines “alfr” (elf) and “rún” (secret/rune); a deeply mystical Norse feminine name.

Alfrún

Origin: Old Norse
Meaning: Elf rune; elf secret
Description: A rare Icelandic feminine name meaning elf rune; still used in Iceland today.

Alfríðr

Origin: Old Norse
Meaning: Elf beautiful; elf peace
Description: Combines “alfr” (elf) and “fríðr” (beautiful/peaceful); a lovely Norse feminine name.

Alfdis

Origin: Old Norse
Meaning: Elf goddess; divine elf
Description: Combines “alfr” (elf) and “dís” (goddess/divine woman); a sacred feminine name in Norse tradition.

Alvíðr

Origin: Old Norse
Meaning: Elf wide; elf great
Description: A rare Old Norse feminine name meaning “great elf” found in medieval Icelandic records.

Unisex Names That Mean Elf

Alf

Origin: Old Norse
Meaning: Elf
Description: The bare elf word; used for both genders across modern Scandinavia.

Alva

Origin: Old Norse/Hebrew
Meaning: Elf; bright one
Description: Used for both boys and girls in Sweden, Norway, and the United States.

Aubrey

Origin: Germanic/Old French
Meaning: Elf ruler
Description: Historically male, now strongly unisex; one of the most common elf-meaning names in English.

Avery

Origin: Old English/Germanic
Meaning: Elf counsel; elf ruler
Description: A fully gender-neutral name in modern English derived from the elf root.

Elvin

Origin: Old English
Meaning: Elf friend
Description: Used for both genders in English-speaking countries and across West Africa.

Elvio

Origin: Latin/Italian
Meaning: Elf; light elf
Description: Used as a given name for both genders in Italian and Spanish-speaking communities.

Alvar

Origin: Old Norse/Germanic
Meaning: Elf warrior
Description: Predominantly male in Scandinavia but used without gender distinction in some communities.

Álf

Origin: Old Norse
Meaning: Elf
Description: The Icelandic form; used as a unisex name in Iceland and the Faroe Islands.

Elva

Origin: Old English/Old Norse
Meaning: Elf
Description: Works as a unisex name in some Scandinavian and Celtic traditions.

Scandinavian Names That Mean Elf

Alf

Origin: Old Norse
Meaning: Elf
Description: The purest elf name in Scandinavian tradition; borne by multiple Norse kings and mythological figures.

Alfr

Origin: Old Norse
Meaning: Elf
Description: The original Norse spelling found in the Eddas and sagas; the ancestor of all Scandinavian elf names.

Alva

Origin: Old Norse
Meaning: Elf
Description: A feminine elf name popular across Sweden and Norway; among the top names in Sweden historically.

Alvar

Origin: Old Norse
Meaning: Elf warrior
Description: A strong masculine Scandinavian name; popular in Sweden, Finland, and Norway.

Alfhild

Origin: Old Norse
Meaning: Elf battle
Description: A classic Norse feminine name; the legendary shield-maiden Alfhild disguised herself as a warrior.

Alfrun

Origin: Old Norse
Meaning: Elf secret; elf rune
Description: A mystical Norse feminine name combining elf and rune symbolism.

Alfgeir

Origin: Old Norse
Meaning: Elf spear
Description: A Norse warrior name meaning elf spear; used in Viking Age Norway and Iceland.

Álvíss

Origin: Old Norse
Meaning: All-wise elf
Description: The name of a legendary all-knowing elf in the Poetic Edda.

Alfdis

Origin: Old Norse
Meaning: Elf goddess
Description: A sacred Norse feminine name connecting the elf and divine feminine traditions.

Alfkell

Origin: Old Norse
Meaning: Elf cauldron
Description: Tied to Norse elf blót (elf sacrifice rituals); a deeply traditional Norse name.

Alfrún

Origin: Old Norse/Icelandic
Meaning: Elf rune
Description: A mystical Icelandic name still in use today; connects the elf world to runic magic.

Alfríðr

Origin: Old Norse
Meaning: Elf beautiful
Description: A melodic Old Norse feminine name meaning beautiful elf.

Álfa

Origin: Old Norse/Icelandic
Meaning: Elf
Description: The feminine form of Álf; used in Iceland as a gentle, magical given name.

Alvíðr

Origin: Old Norse
Meaning: Great elf
Description: A rare but authentic Old Norse name found in medieval Icelandic manuscripts.

Alfmóðr

Origin: Old Norse
Meaning: Elf courage; elf spirit
Description: Combines “alfr” (elf) and “móðr” (spirit/courage); a bold Viking masculine name.

Alfsteinn

Origin: Old Norse
Meaning: Elf stone
Description: Combines “alfr” (elf) and “steinn” (stone); a solid, earthy Norse name.

Alfgeirr

Origin: Old Norse
Meaning: Elf spear
Description: The fuller Norse form of Alfgeir found in Icelandic sagas.

Alfrekr

Origin: Old Norse
Meaning: Elf ruler; elf power
Description: A Norse royal name combining “alfr” (elf) and “ríkr” (ruler/powerful).

Alfvör

Origin: Old Norse
Meaning: Elf vigilance; elf watchful
Description: Combines “alfr” (elf) and “vör” (vigilance/caution); a thoughtful Norse feminine name.

Álfdóttir

Origin: Old Norse
Meaning: Daughter of the elf
Description: A patronymic-style Norse feminine name meaning daughter of the elf.

Germanic Names That Mean Elf

Alberich

Origin: Old High German
Meaning: Elf ruler; elf king
Description: The most powerful elf name in Germanic mythology; king of the dwarves and elves in the Nibelungenlied.

Alberic

Origin: Old High German/Latin
Meaning: Elf ruler
Description: The Latinized form of Alberich; used by medieval German clergy and nobility.

Albrecht

Origin: Old High German
Meaning: Elf bright; noble elf
Description: Combines “alb” (elf) and “recht” (bright/noble); borne by the master painter Albrecht Dürer.

Albert

Origin: Old High German
Meaning: Elf bright; noble elf
Description: From “alb” (elf) and “beraht” (bright); one of the world’s most widespread elf-meaning names.

Adalbert

Origin: Old High German
Meaning: Noble elf bright
Description: Combines “adal” (noble) with “beraht” (bright) through the “alb” (elf) root; a deeply German name.

Albrun

Origin: Old High German
Meaning: Elf secret; elf mystery
Description: Feminine Germanic name combining “alb” (elf) and “runa” (secret/mystery).

Albraed

Origin: Old High German
Meaning: Elf counsel
Description: Combines “alb” (elf) and “raed” (counsel); a rare but authentic Germanic feminine name.

Elberich

Origin: Middle High German
Meaning: Elf ruler
Description: A Middle High German variant of Alberich; found in medieval German literary and church records.

Alfhart

Origin: Old High German
Meaning: Elf strong
Description: Combines “alf” (elf) and “hart” (strong/hard); a sturdy German warrior name.

Alfher

Origin: Old High German
Meaning: Elf army
Description: Combines “alf” (elf) and “her” (army); an Old German masculine name for a warrior.

Alfwin

Origin: Old High German
Meaning: Elf friend
Description: The Old German form of Alvin/Aelfwine; deeply embedded in German naming tradition.

Alwine

Origin: Old High German
Meaning: Elf friend
Description: The feminine Old German elf friend name; used in 18th and 19th century Germany.

Alfrad

Origin: Old High German
Meaning: Elf counsel
Description: The Old High German root form from which Alfred developed; extremely rare and historic.

Elb

Origin: Old High German
Meaning: Elf
Description: The bare Old High German root word for elf “alb/elb”; used as a name in early medieval Germanic records.

Alberada

Origin: Old High German
Meaning: Elf counsel
Description: A noble feminine Germanic name combining “alb” (elf) and “rad” (counsel); used by medieval German noblewomen.

Albrada

Origin: Old High German
Meaning: Elf counsel
Description: A shorter form of Alberada; found in medieval German and Frankish naming records.

Elfriede

Origin: Old High German
Meaning: Elf peace; elf strength
Description: Combines “alb” (elf) and “fridu” (peace); a classic German feminine name meaning elf peace.

Elfried

Origin: Old High German
Meaning: Elf peace
Description: The masculine German form of Elfriede; an elf peace name from Old Germanic tradition.

Albgard

Origin: Old High German
Meaning: Elf enclosure; elf garden
Description: Combines “alb” (elf) and “gard” (enclosure/garden); a rare Old German feminine name.

Albraht

Origin: Old High German
Meaning: Elf bright
Description: The original Old High German spelling from which Albrecht and Albert both derive.

FAQs

Are elf names based on mythology?

Yes.

Many elf names come from Norse, Germanic, and Anglo-Saxon traditions.

Is Alf really a name that means elf?

Yes.

Alf is one of the most authentic names directly meaning elf.

Are elf names popular today?

Most remain uncommon, which adds to their uniqueness.

Can elf names work outside fantasy themes?

Yes.

Many elf-derived names sound classic and timeless.

Which country has the most elf names?

Scandinavian countries preserve many traditional elf-root names.

Do elf names have spiritual meanings?

In folklore, elves are often associated with wisdom, magic, and nature.

Are elf names suitable for boys and girls?

Yes.

There are masculine, feminine, and unisex options.

What is the oldest known name meaning elf?

Alfr is among the oldest recorded names directly meaning elf.

Final Thoughts

Names that mean elf combine mythology, history, and charm in a way few other name themes can match. Whether you choose the ancient strength of Alfr, the elegance of Elva, the simplicity of Alf, or the rarity of Elvar, these names carry a connection to legendary beings known for wisdom, beauty, and mystery.