Avery

  • [ AY-vər-ee, AYV-ree ]
  • English
From a surname which was itself derived from the Norman French form of the given names ALBERICH or ALFRED.

ALBERICH   male   Ancient Germanic, Germanic Mythology
Derived from the Germanic elements alf "elf" and ric "power". Alberich was the name of the sorcerer king of the dwarfs in Germanic mythology. He also appears in the 'Nibelungenlied' as a dwarf who guards the treasure of the Nibelungen.
ALFRED   male   English, French, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German, Polish, Dutch
Derived from the Old English name Ælfræd, composed of the elements ælf "elf" and ræd "counsel". Alfred the Great was a 9th-century king of Wessex who fought unceasingly against the Danes living in northeast England. He was also a scholar, and he translated many Latin books into Old English. His fame helped to ensure the usage of this name even after the Norman conquest, when most Old English names were replaced by Norman ones. It became rare by the end of the Middle Ages, but was revived in the 18th century.

Famous bearers include the British poet Alfred Lord Tennyson (1809-1892), the Swedish inventor and Nobel Prize founder Alfred Nobel (1833-1896), and the American firm director Alfred Hitchcock (1899-1980).
OTHER FORMS
ANCIENT GERMANIC: Alberich
ANGLO-SAXON: Ælfræd, Ælfric
DANISH: Alfred
DUTCH: Alfred
ENGLISH: Alf, Alfie, Alfred, Alfreda, Auberon, Aubree, Aubrey, Aubrie, Freda, Freddie
FRENCH: Alfred
GERMAN: Alfred, Alfreda, Fred
GERMANIC MYTHOLOGY: Alberic, Alberich
HUNGARIAN: Alfréd
ITALIAN: Alberico, Alfreda, Alfredo, Fredo
LITERATURE: Oberon
LITHUANIAN: Alfredas
MEDIEVAL ENGLISH: Elric
NORWEGIAN: Alfred
POLISH: Alfred, Alfreda
PORTUGUESE: Alfredo
SPANISH: Alfredo
SWEDISH: Alfred