boy's name
Fred
FRED
- Origin Germanic
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 1
- Letters 4
- Popularity Uncommon
- Births on record 352,144
Northern Ireland
#482
2014 births
Fred is a boy's name, the short form of Frederick meaning peaceful ruler. Our data marks it stable, and it ranks 597th in England and Wales — well ahead of its 1939th position in the United States.
- Fred is a name of Germanic origin.
- Peaked in 1924, when 6,566 babies were given the name.
- Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 41,442 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 1 syllable, with the stress on syllable 1.
Fred 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 | 15,706 |
| 1890s | 14,395 |
| 1900s | 13,169 |
| 1910s | 44,663 |
| 1920s | 63,215 |
| 1930s | 56,496 |
| 1940s | 56,872 |
| 1950s | 37,584 |
| 1960s | 23,312 |
| 1970s | 9,499 |
| 1980s | 4,851 |
| 1990s | 2,779 |
| 2000s | 1,559 |
| 2010s | 1,043 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 541 |
What Fred means
Fred means peaceful ruler, carried from Frederick. The Germanic joins a word for peace to one meaning rule, so the name describes authority exercised without war.
Where Fred comes from
Fred is clipped from Frederick, the Germanic Frithuric — frithu, peace, joined to ric, rule. It can equally shorten Alfred, which is a different name entirely, from the Old English Ælfræd meaning elf-counsel, so a Fred may descend from either. The name arrived properly in Britain with the Hanoverian succession in 1714, and the short form became a name in its own right in the nineteenth century. Its recent British strength belongs to the same vintage revival lifting Alfie, Archie and Freddie — pet forms registered as full names, a pattern far stronger in Britain than anywhere else.
Fred in use
Fred peaked in the United States in 1924, when 6,566 babies were registered, and our data marks it stable rather than falling. It now ranks 597th in England and Wales on 65 births, 783rd in Ireland, 1939th in the United States on 80 and 6252nd in France, across 352,144 lifetime births in five of the seven markets we track. Ranking more than a thousand places higher in England and Wales than in America reflects the British preference for registering pet forms as full names.
How popular is Fred?
In 2025, Fred was given to 80 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Where Fred 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 Fred
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Fred also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Fred over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
1 nickname for Fred
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.
Fred 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 Fred
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Fred — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Fred
What does the name Fred mean?
Peaceful ruler, carried from Frederick.
Is Fred short for Frederick or Alfred?
Either — they are different names, and Fred serves both. Alfred means elf-counsel.
Where is Fred most used?
England and Wales at 597th, well ahead of the United States at 1939th.
Is Fred coming back?
Our data marks it stable, and it sits within the British revival of pet forms alongside Alfie, Archie and Freddie.
How popular is the name Fred?
In 2025, Fred was given to 80 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Is Fred a girl's or a boy's name?
Fred is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Fred?
Fred has 1 syllable.
When was Fred most popular?
Fred peaked in 1924, when 6,566 babies were given the name. Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Fred?
Fred is usually shortened to Freddie.
Is Fred a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Fred currently ranks #597 in the United States. Its usage has held steady over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.