Freda
Freda was the 6630th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 17 babies. Its best year was 1897, when it ranked 161st; the most babies were born in 1918 (1,025). Over the last ten years it has moved up 2,508 places. More babies were named Freda in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Meaning "peace" (via Frederick or Winifred) · Germanic, English
Say it FREE-duh /ˈfridə/
- Rank in 2025
- #6,630 girls, down 201 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 17girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19181,025 babies
- Total since 1880
- 42,553babies recorded
What does the name Freda mean?
Freda is used as a feminine of Frederick and Fred, and also as a short form of Winifred, according to Wiktionary. Wikipedia treats it as a variant of Frida, a Central European short form of names containing the Germanic fridu, "peace". Frederick itself is made of fridu, "peace", and rīk, "ruler". Freda was most common in the US in the 1890s to 1920s.
fridu (Old High German, “peace”)
How sure is this? Probable. Freda has several sources; the "peace" element applies to the Frederick/Frida line.
Related names: Frieda, Frida, Frederica, Winifred.
See also: Germanic names, names that mean peace.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Freda', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Frederick', DMNES (Durham University)
- Wikipedia, 'Frida (given name)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation)
Freda popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 26 since 1909.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #6,630 | 17 |
| 2020 | #6,429 | 18 |
| 2010 | #8,401 | 14 |
| 2000 | #7,724 | 13 |
| 1990 | #3,652 | 29 |
| 1980 | #1,304 | 98 |
| 1970 | #906 | 145 |
| 1960 | #462 | 449 |
| 1950 | #388 | 437 |
| 1940 | #284 | 487 |
| 1930 | #253 | 610 |
| 1920 | #201 | 974 |
| 1910 | #193 | 345 |
| 1900 | #170 | 321 |
| 1890 | #215 | 127 |
| 1880 | #265 | 34 |
How popular is Freda, counting every spelling?
Freda is the most common spelling of a name family that had 22 girls in 2025 across its spellings. Together these spellings went to 22 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freda | 17 | #6,630 | 78 |
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 Freda?
17 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Freda (0.00 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Freda 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 495 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Freda.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Freda?
About 12,500 people born in the US named Freda are alive today, with a median age of 70; half are between 61 and 79. That makes Freda 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.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Freda: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Freda, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Freda · Sibling names for Freda
Questions about the name Freda
What does Freda mean?
Freda means “"peace" (via Frederick or Winifred)” (Germanic, English origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Freda?
Freda was the 6630th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 17 babies. Its best year was 1897, when it ranked 161st; the most babies were born in 1918 (1,025). Over the last ten years it has moved up 2,508 places. More babies were named Freda in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Is Freda a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Freda in the US.