Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Alonzo

Alonzo is an Italian and Spanish masculine name and a variant of Alfonso. Both the Italians and the Spanish adopted the name from the Germanic Visigoth tribe who occupied Italy and Spain during certain periods of history. In fact, it was the Visigoths who successfully sacked Rome in 410 A.D. and shortly thereafter set up camp in Spain and Portugal. This is how the ancient Italians, Spanish and Portuguese became exposed to names of Germanic origin. Alfonzo is derivative of the Germanic “adal” meaning “noble” and “funs” meaning “ready”. Adding literary capital to Alonzo, Alonso Quijano is the real name of Miguel de Cervantes’ famous character “Don Quixote” written in the early 1600s. Alonzo is also the name of a flirtatious tom-cat in the musical “Cats”. Although Alonzo and Alfonso are ancient names, they are no longer as popular today as they once were.

All About the Baby Name – Alonzo

Personality

OF THE BOY NAME ALONZO

The number 11 is a Master Number, and embodies heightened traits of the Two. This personality is on a life journey to find spiritual truth. They are extremely idealistic and intuitive. Elevens have a rare and exceptional spiritual energy that brings a sense of obligation to illuminate the world around them. It's a very powerful responsibility, but these people have far more potential than they know. It's important that they surrender to higher ideals. They have the capacity to see the bigger picture, and they possess the skills to inspire others spiritually. Elevens have strong diplomatic skills and can become great peacemakers. Master numbers can be both a blessing and a curse, as they walk the fine line between greatness and the potential for self-destruction.

Popularity

OF THE BOY NAME ALONZO

Alonzo has been in regular use in America since at least the late 19th century. In fact, it was back then over 100 years ago when Alonzo was at the height of his popularity, most likely owing to the influence of Italians (coinciding with a period of large Italian immigration). As the decades progressed into the 20th century, this “noble and ready” masculine name began his slow and steady descent down the charts. No longer popular today, Alonzo is a largely neglected name. Alfonso is even less popular. Still, we love the connection to Don Quixote and chivalry in general. As an Italian and Spanish name, Alonzo is sexy, masculine and debonair. We also think of the tall and strapping Alonzo Mourning, former basketball center for the Miami Heat (and the first Heat player to have his jersey number 33 retired). Mourning often went by the nickname “Zo” which is too cool for words.

Quick Facts

ON ALONZO

GENDER:

Boy

ORIGIN:

Italian

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

3

RANKING POPULARITY:

500

PRONUNCIATION:

ah-LON-zo

SIMPLE MEANING:

Noble and Ready

Characteristics

OF ALONZO

Inspirational

Highly Intuitive

Spiritual Teacher

Extremely Bright

Uplifting

Truth-seeker

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Alonzo

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME ALONZO

Alonzo Quijano is the real name of Don Quixote in Miguel de Cervantes’ classic of the same name, published in two volumes 10 years apart, in 1605 and 1615. Alonzo is a tall, gaunt fifty-year old Spanish nobleman who has read a few too many romances of knights and their ladies, and finally succumbs to the fantasy that he is one of them. Dubbing himself Don Quixote de la Mancha, Alonso dons an old armored suit of his grandfather’s, takes up a rusty sword and rides off in search of gallant adventure on the swayback of his old horse, Rosinante. Persuading a peasant farmer to be his trusty squire, he is joined by Sancho Panza, as short as he is tall, as fat as he is thin, and together this unlikely pair go tilting at windmills and saving the fair maiden, Dulcinea (herself a robust peasant girl named Aldonsa Lorenzo). It matters not that there are no real damsels in distress, no moated castles, no battles for knightly honor – in his vision, Alonzo is indeed dreaming the impossible dream; he is meeting life head-on and with exuberant gusto, righting wrongs and doing good. It is for this that we cheer him on and hope against hope that no real harm shall come to him.

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME ALONZO

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Alonzo


Popular Songs

ON ALONZO

We cannot find any popular or well-known songs with the name of Alonzo


Famous People

NAMED ALONZO

Alonzo Mourning (basketball player)
Alonzo Babers (Olympic gold medalist)
Alonzo Bodden (comic)
Alonzo B. Cornell (former New York Governor and son of Ezra Cornell, founder of Cornell University)
Alonzo Horton (early land developer of San Diego, CA)
Alonzo Highsmith (football player)
Alonzo Powell (baseball player)

Children of Famous People

NAMED ALONZO

We cannot find any children of famous people with the first name Alonzo

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME ALONZO

We cannot find any historically significant people with the first name Alonzo