Elfreda is an uncommon, yet distinctive female given name of Germanic origin. It consists of two elements: 'Eald', meaning old or ancient, and 'frēod', translating to peace. Thus, the name Elfreda signifies 'ancient peace'. The name gained prominence in the Middle Ages but has since become quite rare, adding to its unique charm.
The name Elfreda appears to have been quite popular from around the late 19th century up until World War I, with a significant peak occurring during the war years of 1914 to 1918. During this period, there were over 20 births annually, peaking at 40 in 1917. However, its popularity declined significantly afterwards, dropping below 15 births per year after 1923 and rarely exceeding double digits until the late 1950s when it saw a brief resurgence with 33 births in 1958. After this point, Elfreda became quite uncommon, with fewer than 10 births recorded each year from 1960 onwards. Overall, there were a total of 934 births named Elfreda between 1887 and 1978.