Aldred Family History

English:: from the Middle English personal name Al(d)red or El(d)red an overlap or merger of three Old English names Ealdrǣd (or Aldrǣd) Æthelrǣd and Ælfrǣd. Old English Ealdrǣd and its variant Aldrǣd regularly appear in Middle English as either Eldred or Aldred depending on dialect.

The pronunciation of Old English Æthelrǣd was often shortened occurring in Middle English as Ailred Eilred Alred and Elred. Subsequently a transitional -d- was inserted between the l and the r resulting in A(i)ldred and E(i)ldred.

Middle English forms of Old English Ælfrǣd sometimes lost the medial -f- becoming Alred or Elred and then Aldred Eldred. All three personal names were largely obsolete by the end of the 13th century.

Variant of Audrey