alphonsus is named after king alfonso x of castile (known as "alfonso the wise"), who had an interest in astronomy. like many of the craters on the moon's near side, it was given its name by giovanni riccioli, whose 1651 nomenclature system has become standardized; riccioli originally named it "alphonsus rex" ('king alfonso'), but the 'rex' was later dropped. earlier lunar cartographers had given the feature different names. michael van langren's 1645 map calls it "ludovici xiv, reg. fran.", after louis xiv of france, and johannes hevelius called it "mons masicytus" after a range of mountains in lycia.