Alegre as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Alegre

What is the meaning of the name Alegre ?

The baby name Alegre is a Unisex name , 3 syllables long and is pronounced Spanish: /aˈleɣɾe/ (ah-LEH-greh); Portuguese: /aˈlɛɡɾ(ɨ)/ or BR /aˈlɛgɾi/ (ah-LEH-greh or ah-LEH-gree).

Alegre is Portuguese, Spanish in Origin.

Alegre is a Spanish and Portuguese word-name meaning "cheerful, merry, lively," from Latin alacer/alacris ("brisk, eager"). It is also found in Catalan and Galician and is cognate with Italian Allegra and French allègre. In everyday use the word can describe bright colors or lively music, reinforcing the name’s buoyant tone.

Documented as a medieval nickname across Iberia that later became a hereditary surname, Alegre as a given name is a modern revival. It appears occasionally in Iberia, Latin America, and the Philippines, and more commonly as a surname or toponym. Usage skews feminine in Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking contexts but remains broadly unisex. Related forms and cognates include Alegría (Spanish, feminine), Alegria (Portuguese/Catalan), and Allegra (Italian). Short forms like Ale are possible. With its upbeat meaning and easy international pronunciation, Alegre offers a distinctive, virtue-leaning alternative to Allegra or Joy.