Origin of the name Elfreda

Middle English form of the Old English name Ælfþryð meaning "elf strength", derived from the element ælf "elf" combined with þryð "strength". Ælfþryð was common amongst Anglo-Saxon nobility, being borne for example by the mother of king Æðelræd the Unready. This name was rare after the Norman conquest, but it was revived in the 19th century.