Submitted Name Revision History

Old Norse name of uncertain meaning, the first element possibly from *#alu# "protection, fortune" or #alfr# "elf"; the second element, #fífa# means "cotton grass" and occurs in Old Icelandic poetry as a metaphor for "arrow" (a similar word, #fífla#, was used in 'Grettis saga' to mean "a girl"). Alternatively it may be related to the Norwegian ALFIVA (a form of ÆLFGIFU).