Frederic
Frederic was the 2953rd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 42 babies. Its best year was 1885, when it ranked 302nd; the most babies were born in 1947 (299). Over the last ten years it has moved up 35 places. More babies were named Frederic in the 1940s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Frederick) peaceful ruler · Germanic
- Rank in 2025
- #2,953 boys, up 341 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 42boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 1947299 babies
- Total since 1880
- 14,440babies recorded
What does the name Frederic mean?
Frederic is a spelling of Frederick, pronounced the same way, so it shares Frederick's meaning and origin.
Frederick comes from the Germanic name Fridurih, from fridu, "peace", and rīh, "ruler", so "peaceful ruler". DMNES gives these elements and lists Holy Roman Emperors, among them Frederick Barbarossa, and kings of Denmark; Wiktionary traces the English spelling through German Friedrich and Latin Fridericus. Frederick the Great of Prussia made it widely known.
fridu (Old High German, “peace”)rīh (Old High German, “ruler”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Fred, Freddie, Friedrich, Federico, Frederica.
See also: Germanic names, names that mean peace, names that mean king or queen.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Frederick', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources (ed. S. L. Uckelman), Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Frederick', DMNES, Durham University
- Dictionary.com Unabridged (based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary), with Collins English Dictionary, s.v. 'Frederick', Dictionary.com / Random House / HarperCollins
Frederic popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #2,953 | 42 |
| 2020 | #3,294 | 34 |
| 2010 | #4,732 | 20 |
| 2000 | #2,266 | 43 |
| 1990 | #1,710 | 47 |
| 1980 | #1,114 | 66 |
| 1970 | #688 | 145 |
| 1960 | #652 | 143 |
| 1950 | #432 | 238 |
| 1940 | #412 | 197 |
| 1930 | #465 | 163 |
| 1920 | #434 | 193 |
| 1910 | #399 | 44 |
| 1900 | #863 | 10 |
| 1890 | #395 | 21 |
| 1880 | #365 | 22 |
How popular is Frederic, counting every spelling?
Frederic is a spelling of Frederick, a name family that ranked #371 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #2,953 for Frederic on its own. Together these spellings went to 908 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frederick | 728 | #435 | 3,348 |
| Fredrick | 94 | #1,736 | 570 |
| Frederic | 42 | #2,953 | 203 |
| Frederik | 29 | #3,787 | 94 |
| Fredric | 15 | #5,946 | 70 |
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 Frederic?
42 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Frederic (0.01 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Frederic 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 200 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Frederic.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Frederic?
About 6,500 people born in the US named Frederic are alive today, with a median age of 61; half are between 42 and 74. That makes Frederic 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.
Frederic by state
How common Frederic was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. In 49 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 Frederic: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Frederic, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Frederic
What does Frederic mean?
Frederic is a spelling of Frederick, which means “peaceful ruler” (Germanic origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Frederic?
Frederic was the 2953rd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 42 babies. Its best year was 1885, when it ranked 302nd; the most babies were born in 1947 (299). Over the last ten years it has moved up 35 places. More babies were named Frederic in the 1940s than in any other decade.
Is Frederic a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Frederic in the US.
Where is Frederic most popular?
In 2021–2025, Frederic was most common in New York (0.02 per 1,000 boys), followed by California and California.