boy's name
Edmund
ED-mund
- Origin English
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 6
- Popularity Uncommon
- Births on record 54,836
Northern Ireland
#391
2006 births
Edmund was England's patron saint before George — Edmund the Martyr, king of East Anglia, was killed by a Viking army in 869 and held that position for some three hundred years before a crusader saint displaced him.
- Edmund is a name of English origin.
- Peaked in 1923, when 1,145 babies were given the name.
- After peaking in the 1920s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival.
- Today about 1 in 16,660 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Edmund over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 708 |
| 1890s | 868 |
| 1900s | 1,151 |
| 1910s | 7,437 |
| 1920s | 10,240 |
| 1930s | 6,000 |
| 1940s | 5,807 |
| 1950s | 6,027 |
| 1960s | 4,335 |
| 1970s | 2,546 |
| 1980s | 1,975 |
| 1990s | 1,359 |
| 2000s | 1,127 |
| 2010s | 1,528 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 1,035 |
What Edmund means
Edmund means wealthy protector, or protection through prosperity. The Old English joins a word for riches to one meaning protection, so both halves concern the security a ruler could provide.
Where Edmund comes from
Edmund is the Old English Eadmund — ead, wealth or prosperity, joined to mund, protection or guardianship. The ead is the same element in Edward, Edith and Edgar, and mund survives in the German Vormund, a guardian. Edmund the Martyr was king of East Anglia and killed by the Great Heathen Army in 869; Bury St Edmunds grew around his shrine. He was England's patron saint until Edward III promoted George, whose crusading credentials suited a king at war in France.
Edmund in use
Edmund peaked in the United States in 1923, when 1,145 babies were registered, and our data marks it reviving. It now ranks 653rd in England and Wales on 56 births, 693rd in Scotland on 4, 993rd in Ireland on 3, 1083rd in the United States on 199 and 6087th in France on 5, across 54,836 lifetime births in six of the seven markets we track.
How popular is Edmund?
In 2025, Edmund was given to 199 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Where Edmund is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Edmund
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Edmund also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Edmund over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
2 nicknames for Edmund
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Edmund in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Edmund
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Edmund — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Edmund
What does the name Edmund mean?
Wealthy protector — the Old English ead, prosperity, joined to mund, protection.
Was Edmund England's patron saint?
Yes, for around three hundred years, until Edward III promoted George.
Who was Edmund the Martyr?
King of East Anglia, killed by the Great Heathen Army in 869. Bury St Edmunds grew around his shrine.
Is Edmund coming back?
Our data marks it reviving, led by England and Wales at 653rd.
How popular is the name Edmund?
In 2025, Edmund was given to 199 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Is Edmund a girl's or a boy's name?
Edmund is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Edmund?
Edmund has 2 syllables.
When was Edmund most popular?
Edmund peaked in 1923, when 1,145 babies were given the name. After peaking in the 1920s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival.
What are the nicknames for Edmund?
Edmund is usually shortened to Ned and Ed.
Is Edmund a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Edmund currently ranks #653 in the United States. After peaking in the 1920s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.