Fred is a boy name with a classic feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Fred means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Fred across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Fred has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Fred is a boy name of Germanic origin meaning “peaceful ruler”. a short form of Frederick.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 345,684 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 1,580 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 40 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 3 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 101 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Fred per year, United States (1880 to 2025). United States peaked in 1924 (6,566/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 2008 (74/yr) · Ireland peaked in 2020 (9/yr) · Scotland peaked in 2010 (6/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 2014 (3/yr).
Fred has been one of the most popular baby names in the United States. It was most common in 1924, when it ranked #74 nationally (given to 6,566 babies that year), and a popular choice in the 1920s.
Freddie · Freda · Frieda · Freddy · Ford · Freida · Frida · Freeda
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