Elfreda

Elfreda is an Old English feminine name derived from the elements ælf, meaning elf, and ræd, meaning counsel, giving the combined sense of elf counsel. The name was borne in Anglo-Saxon England and reflects the early medieval belief in elves as supernatural beings associated with wisdom and otherworldly power. It is closely related to Ælfthryth, the Old English form that was common among Anglo-Saxon royalty, as well as the variant Elfrida, which saw some revival during the nineteenth-century interest in medieval English heritage. Elfrida and Alfreda are the most frequently encountered cognate forms in later usage.