boy's name
Frédéric
fray-day-REEK
- Origin French
- Gender Boy
- Letters 8
- Popularity Uncommon
- Births on record 348,969
Scotland
#736
as Frederic, 2010
Frédéric is a boy's name from Germanic elements meaning peaceful ruler, the French form of Frederick. It peaked in 1973 and does not currently chart in any of the six markets we track, despite holding 343,503 recorded births.
- Frédéric is a name of French origin.
- Peaked in France in 1973, when 18,200 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade in France.
- Today about 1 in 39,300 babies in France is given this name.
- First appears in birth records in 1900.
Frédéric over time
Births per decade in France, 1900s 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 |
|---|---|
| 1900s | 5,860 |
| 1910s | 4,135 |
| 1920s | 2,850 |
| 1930s | 1,925 |
| 1940s | 2,380 |
| 1950s | 14,365 |
| 1960s | 99,465 |
| 1970s | 139,180 |
| 1980s | 46,515 |
| 1990s | 9,195 |
| 2000s | 1,910 |
| 2010s | 400 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 95 |
What Frédéric means
Frédéric means peaceful ruler, or ruler in peace. The Germanic joins a word for peace to one meaning rule or power, so the name describes authority exercised without war.
Where Frédéric comes from
Frédéric is the French form of the Germanic Frithuric — frithu, peace, joined to ric, rule or power. It was dynastic among German and Prussian royalty, borne by Holy Roman Emperors and by Frederick the Great, whose reputation as a philosopher-king rested rather awkwardly on a career of successful wars. Its French use owes a good deal to Frédéric Chopin, born in Poland as Fryderyk and settled in Paris from 1831, who is buried at Père Lachaise with his heart returned separately to Warsaw. Frédéric Bartholdi designed the Statue of Liberty.
Frédéric in use
Frédéric peaked in France in 1973, when 18,200 babies were registered, and is falling in our data. It does not currently rank in the latest year of any of the six markets we track, despite holding 343,503 lifetime births — the accented spelling has stopped being registered in numbers even in France, where the unaccented Frederic and the English Frederick both continue.
How popular is Frédéric?
In 2025, Frédéric was given to 15 babies in France. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Where Frédéric is used
French counts are rounded to the nearest five and nothing below five is published, so these figures show the shape of the name's use rather than an exact tally. Data & sources.
How Frédéric is spelled
Birth registers count each spelling separately, so every one has its own ranking.
| Spelling | What it is | Births on record |
|---|---|---|
| Frederic | Frederic is a spelling of Frédéric, used in the United States, where it ranks #2,973. | 20,874 |
| Fred-Eric | Fred-Eric is Frédéric without the acute accent, and the spelling recorded in France, where it ranks #1,299. | 5 |
Names that peaked alongside Frédéric
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Frédéric also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Frédéric over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
2 nicknames for Frédéric
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.
Frédéric 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 Frédéric
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Frédéric — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Frédéric
What does the name Frédéric mean?
Peaceful ruler — the Germanic frithu, peace, joined to ric, rule.
Is Frédéric the same as Frederick?
Yes, the French and English forms of the same Germanic name.
Was Chopin called Frédéric?
He was born Fryderyk in Poland and used the French form after settling in Paris in 1831.
How popular is Frédéric?
It does not currently chart in any of the six markets we track, despite 343,503 lifetime births.
Is Frédéric a girl's or a boy's name?
Frédéric is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
What are the nicknames for Frédéric?
Frédéric is usually shortened to Fred and Fredo.
Is Frédéric a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Frédéric currently ranks #1,023 in France. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.