Fred
Fred was the 1936th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 80 babies. Its best year was 1885, when it ranked 14th; the most babies were born in 1924 (6,532). Over the last ten years it has moved down 345 places. More babies were named Fred in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Meaning short form of Frederick, Alfred or Wilfred · English, Germanic
Say it FRED /fɹɛd/
- Rank in 2025
- #1,936 boys, down 134 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 80boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19246,532 babies
- Total since 1880
- 345,684babies recorded
What does the name Fred mean?
Fred is a short form of Frederick, and also of Alfred and Wilfred, as Wiktionary notes, and it has long been used as a full name. Frederick is a Germanic name from fridu 'peace' and rīc 'ruler', so 'peaceful ruler'; Alfred is Old English 'elf counsel' and Wilfred 'will + peace'. Fred Astaire and Fred Rogers are famous American bearers.
fridu (Old High German, “peace”)rīc (Old High German, “ruler”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Frederick, Freddie, Alfred, Wilfred.
See also: Germanic names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Fred', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Frederick', DMNES (Durham University)
Nicknames for Fred
The usual nicknames for Fred are Freddie and Freddy. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 boys named Fred in the last five years, 153 were named Freddy, against 196 twenty years earlier.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Boys, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freddie · also for Frederick, Alfred, Winifred | Traditional | #1,510 | 414 |
| Freddy · also for Frederick, Alfredo | Traditional | #1,422 | 702 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are boys given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Freds go by each one.
Fred popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 2,029 since 1880.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,936 | 80 |
| 2020 | #1,802 | 83 |
| 2010 | #1,520 | 107 |
| 2000 | #965 | 157 |
| 1990 | #498 | 385 |
| 1980 | #324 | 585 |
| 1970 | #183 | 1,503 |
| 1960 | #117 | 3,396 |
| 1950 | #84 | 4,195 |
| 1940 | #40 | 5,581 |
| 1930 | #32 | 6,049 |
| 1920 | #33 | 6,298 |
| 1910 | #22 | 1,587 |
| 1900 | #17 | 1,646 |
| 1890 | #15 | 1,506 |
| 1880 | #15 | 1,569 |
How popular is Fred, counting every spelling?
Fred is the most common spelling of a name family that had 80 boys in 2025 across its spellings. Together these spellings went to 80 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fred | 80 | #1,936 | 458 |
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 Fred?
80 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Fred (0.02 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Fred 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 105 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Fred.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Fred?
About 93,000 people born in the US named Fred are alive today, with a median age of 70; half are between 60 and 79. That makes Fred 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.
Fred by state
How common Fred was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in New York (1.6×). In 39 states fewer than five boys a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Fred: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Fred, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Fred · Sibling names for Fred
Fred is also a nickname for Frederick, Alfred and Wilfred.
Questions about the name Fred
What does Fred mean?
Fred means “short form of Frederick, Alfred or Wilfred” (English, Germanic origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Fred?
Fred was the 1936th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 80 babies. Its best year was 1885, when it ranked 14th; the most babies were born in 1924 (6,532). Over the last ten years it has moved down 345 places. More babies were named Fred in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Is Fred a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Fred in the US.
Where is Fred most popular?
In 2021–2025, Fred was most common in New York (0.08 per 1,000 boys), followed by Florida and Louisiana.