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Afonso as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Afonso

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The baby name Afonso is a Boy name , 3 syllables long and is pronounced ah-FON-soo.

Afonso is Galician, Germanic, Portuguese in Origin.

Gender: Boy
Syllables: 3
Pronunciation: ah-FON-soo

What is the meaning of the name Afonso ?

The baby name Afonso is a boy name , 3 syllables long and is pronounced ah-FON-soo.

Afonso is Galician, Germanic, Portuguese in Origin.

Afonso is the Portuguese and Galician form of Alfonso, a Romance adaptation of the medieval Latin name Adefonsus or Adelfonsus. The underlying Germanic compound is usually reconstructed as *Aþalfuns, from *aþalaz, noble, and *funsaz, ready or eager; the first element later appeared in forms such as Old High German adal. In Iberian documents the initial consonant and unstressed vowels shifted through Latinized spellings before Portuguese settled on Afonso.

The name was prominent in medieval Iberia, beginning with Asturian and Leonese kings named Alfonso and entering Portuguese royal usage with Afonso Henriques, proclaimed king of Portugal in 1139. Later bearers include Afonso V of Portugal and Afonso de Albuquerque, whose career tied the name to early Portuguese expansion in the Indian Ocean. Outside Portugal it appears in Brazil, Angola, Mozambique, and other Lusophone settings; Spanish favors Alfonso and Alonso, while French has Alphonse and Germanic languages Alfons.

Afonso has the following similar or variant Names

Famous people with the name Afonso

Afonso III of Portugal Royal · Born 1210 · Kingdom of Portugal Afonso III of Portugal is best known for being King of Portugal and the first ruler to use the title King of Portugal and the Algarve, starting in 1249. Born on 5 May 1210, he was called the Boulonnais and ruled until his death on 16 February 1279. Afonso Pena Politician · Born 1847 · Brazil Afonso Pena was a Brazilian politician best known for serving as the sixth president of Brazil from 1906 until his death in 1909. He was also a lawyer and professor, and he was elected president in 1906 as the chosen successor to Rodrigues Alves. Afonso I of Kongo Royal · Born 1456 · Kingdom of Kongo Afonso I of Kongo, also known as Dom Alfonso, is most famous for ruling the Kingdom of Kongo in the early 1500s as its sixth king. Born Mvemba a Nzinga, he was a leading ruler of the Lukeni kanda dynasty and reigned during the first half of the 16th century.
Afonso Cruz Musician · Born 1971 · Portugal Afonso Cruz is a Portuguese writer and multidisciplinary artist best known for his novels and other books. Born in Figueira da Foz in 1971, he has published more than 30 works across fiction, theatre, poetry, essays, and children’s literature, with books translated into more than 20 languages and honors including the EU Prize for Literature.

Afonso – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
Ireland Boys 2023 #1 807
AO Boys 0 #34 509 5,568
AO 0 #43 34 2,729
PT Boys 0 #44 4,558 7,951
MU Boys 0 #46 912 8,477
MO 0 #51 2 2,706
LU 0 #65 2 2,830
MU 0 #90 49 3,613
Switzerland Boys 2024 #117 21 1,769
PT 0 #118 184 4,161
HU Boys 0 #174 1 3,954
Sweden Boys 2014 #185 2 1,448
LU Girls 0 #189 2 4,850
LU Boys 0 #196 23 4,970
AO Girls 0 #214 4 4,575
MO Boys 0 #226 9 5,842
NA Boys 0 #246 8 6,830
TW Boys 0 #256 1 7,111
BR Boys 0 #261 1,119 12,213
BR 0 #298 48 5,969
JP Boys 0 #300 4 7,909
CZ Boys 0 #305 1 6,530
Canada Boys 2018 #327 5 2,587
CN Boys 0 #331 1 9,639
PL Boys 0 #340 1 6,459
MU Girls 0 #342 10 8,539
HK 0 #356 2 8,483
GH Boys 0 #360 2 8,138
France Boys 2021 #373 15 2,865
PH Boys 0 #408 1 11,440
UY Boys 0 #410 4 5,922
PT Girls 0 #425 27 7,952
ZA 0 #474 1 14,421
AR Boys 0 #483 1 7,628
PA Boys 0 #504 2 9,305
RU Girls 0 #523 1 11,913
RU Boys 0 #525 2 12,621
UY Girls 0 #536 1 6,731
HK Boys 0 #556 2 12,905
BH 0 #587 1 17,937
BO Boys 0 #619 4 9,244
HK Girls 0 #650 1 16,104
Finland Boys 2026 #678 5 3,552
CL Boys 0 #692 9 13,390
QA Boys 0 #741 3 18,093
KW Boys 0 #806 1 18,755
NG Girls 0 #826 1 15,093
United States Boys 2019 #887 5 7,235
Spain Boys 0 #887 44 5,610
CO Boys 0 #892 29 15,656
OM Boys 0 #916 3 17,948
PE Boys 0 #920 7 14,506
EG Boys 0 #925 1 15,035
NL Boys 0 #926 26 5,873
BR Girls 0 #928 14 12,708
MX Boys 0 #970 13 16,355
ZA Boys 0 #971 209 25,619
NG Boys 0 #996 6 16,906
ZA Girls 0 #1,115 27 25,928
AE Boys 0 #1,140 4 22,615
MY Boys 0 #1,181 2 25,439
MA 0 #1,199 1 20,986
DZ 0 #1,234 1 20,130
TR 0 #1,253 2 19,440
MX Girls 0 #1,267 1 17,781
IT Boys 0 #1,442 30 10,046
SA Boys 0 #1,691 1 28,008

Afonso is popular in 47 countries — most recent births per country:

Switzerland
France
Ireland
United States
AE

Did we miss something about this name? Let us know!

People also ask about Afonso

Afonso is a unisex name, given to both boys and girls.
Afonso is a 3 syllable name, pronounced ah-FON-soo.
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Adefonsus, Adelfonsus, Alfonso, Alonso, Alphonsus and Alphonse.
Yes, very popular — Afonso ranked #1 in Ireland in 2023, and appears in official birth registries across 7 countries.
Afonso ranks highest in Ireland (#1 in 2023).
Yes — 4 notable people named Afonso are in our database, including Afonso III of Portugal (Royal), Afonso Pena (Politician), Afonso I of Kongo (Royal).