Edward
Edward was the 224th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 1,591 babies. Its best year was 1912, when it ranked 8th; the most babies were born in 1924 (21,126). Over the last ten years it has moved down 66 places. More babies were named Edward in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Meaning wealthy guardian · Old English
Say it ED-werd /ˈɛdwərd/
- Rank in 2025
- #224 boys, down 29 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 1,591boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 192421,126 babies
- Total since 1880
- 1,308,955babies recorded
What does the name Edward mean?
Edward is an Old English name, Eadweard, made of ead, 'wealth, prosperity', and weard, 'guard, guardian'; DMNES and Wiktionary agree. DMNES notes that eight medieval English kings bore it, one of whom was England's patron saint until 1348, and that unlike most Old English names it spread as far as Spain. Wikipedia says it remained popular after the Norman Conquest because of the royal line. Ed, Eddie, Ned and Ted are its pet forms.
ēad (Old English, “wealth, prosperity”)weard (Old English, “guard, guardian”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Ed, Eddie, Ned, Ted, Eduardo, Edouard.
See also: English names, names that mean protector.
Sources for this meaning
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Edward', Durham University / The DMNES Editors
- Wiktionary, entry 'Edward', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wikipedia, 'Edward', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
Nicknames for Edward
The usual nicknames for Edward are Ed, Eddie, Ted, Teddy and Ned. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 boys named Edward in the last five years, 17 were named Eddie, against 22 twenty years earlier. Teddy is also gaining on the full name.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Boys, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ed · also for Edwin, Edgar, Edmund | Traditional | — | 22 |
| Eddie · also for Eduardo, Edwin, Edgar | Traditional | #861 | 1,431 |
| Ted · also for Theodore, Edmund | Traditional | #3,229 | 203 |
| Teddy · also for Theodore, Ted | Traditional | #823 | 1,169 |
| Ned · also for Edmund | Traditional | #9,452 | 49 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are boys given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Edwards go by each one.
Edward popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 5,361 since 1882.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #224 | 1,591 |
| 2020 | #195 | 1,952 |
| 2010 | #136 | 2,905 |
| 2000 | #108 | 3,485 |
| 1990 | #68 | 5,746 |
| 1980 | #52 | 6,762 |
| 1970 | #31 | 12,275 |
| 1960 | #26 | 16,595 |
| 1950 | #22 | 18,714 |
| 1940 | #16 | 14,405 |
| 1930 | #10 | 17,352 |
| 1920 | #8 | 20,097 |
| 1910 | #9 | 3,407 |
| 1900 | #9 | 2,720 |
| 1890 | #11 | 2,282 |
| 1880 | #11 | 2,364 |
How popular is Edward, counting every spelling?
Edward is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #237 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #224 for Edward on its own. Together these spellings went to 1,629 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Edward | 1,591 | #224 | 8,418 |
| Eduard | 38 | #3,147 | 186 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Edward?
1,591 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Edward (0.44 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Edward born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 5 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Edward.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Edward?
About 575,200 people born in the US named Edward are alive today, with a median age of 61; half are between 43 and 72. That makes Edward a name most people associate with older generations.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Edward by state
How common Edward was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in District of Columbia (2.5×), Massachusetts (2.1×), New Hampshire (2.1×), Alaska (2.1×), Maine (2.0×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in South Dakota, Idaho, Utah.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Edward: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Edward, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Edward · Sibling names for Edward
Questions about the name Edward
What does Edward mean?
Edward means “wealthy guardian” (Old English origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Edward?
Edward was the 224th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 1,591 babies. Its best year was 1912, when it ranked 8th; the most babies were born in 1924 (21,126). Over the last ten years it has moved down 66 places. More babies were named Edward in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Is Edward a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Edward in the US.
Where is Edward most popular?
In 2021–2025, Edward was most common in District of Columbia (2.44 per 1,000 boys), followed by Massachusetts and New Hampshire.