Meaning and background
The story behind Alphonso
Alphonso is an English spelling variant of Alfonso and is related to Alphonse and Alonzo. Unlike those near neighbours, its British English pronunciation has been specifically recorded as al-FON-zoh. Older reconstructions of the Alfonso name family remain open to debate, so a single literal modern translation would be overconfident. The shape of the name is striking without requiring a story about its bearer’s personality.
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About Alphonso
Recorded as a dog’s name
Alphonso appears in 2 dog licence records in the 2016 New York City dataset.
How to read this count
These records cover New York City and may count the same dog in more than one licence period. They are not a national popularity ranking.
Pronunciation and rhythm
/ælfɑnsoʊ/
US English sound sequence, converted from the CMU dictionary. Stress marks are shown separately.
Stress on the second syllable in the recorded US readings.
View dictionary notation
/ælfɑnsoʊ/ · primary stress on syllable 2AE0 L F AA1 N S OW0
These are US dictionary readings. Personal, regional and other language pronunciations may differ.
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Sources and research notes (3)
- New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene NYC Dog Licensing Dataset — all seven available extract years, retrieved 24 October 2026 — Recorded name spellings in NYC licence-period rows, extract years 2016–2018, 2022–2024 and 2026. Evidence selects one stated year per name. Annual snapshots overlap; never sum them as unique dogs. No national popularity, etymology or owner naming-intent claim.
- Carnegie Mellon University / CMU Sphinx maintainers CMU US English Pronouncing Dictionary — US English dictionary readings; not owner-specific or exhaustive multilingual pronunciation
- City of Seattle Seattle Pet Licenses — DOG-only name aggregate, current source dated 6 October 2026 — Secondary spelling corroboration from dog-only licence rows. No cats, owner fields, national ranking or unique-dog claim.
References support the individual facts shown. A source link does not mean the entire profile has been verified.