Wilfred
Wilfred was the 3844th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 29 babies. Its best year was 1917, when it ranked 164th; the most babies were born in 1920 (802). Over the last ten years it has moved up 554 places. More babies were named Wilfred in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Meaning "will" + "peace" · Old English, Germanic
Say it WIL-frid /ˈwɪlfrɪd/
- Rank in 2025
- #3,844 boys, up 70 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 29boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 1920802 babies
- Total since 1880
- 29,520babies recorded
What does the name Wilfred mean?
Wilfred comes from the Old English Wilfrith, made of willa, "will, desire", and friþ, "peace". DMNES records it as the name of two Anglo-Saxon saints, the best known being the 7th-century bishop Wilfrid of York. It was revived in the 19th century and, according to Wiktionary, was popular in Britain in the early 20th century. In the US it was most common in the 1910s and 1920s.
willa (Old English, “will, desire”)friþ (Old English, “peace”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Wilfrid, Will, Fred, Wilfried.
See also: English names, names that mean peace.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Wilfred', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Wilfred', DMNES (Durham University)
- Wikipedia, 'Wilfred (given name)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation)
Nicknames for Wilfred
The usual nicknames for Wilfred are Fred, Will and Freddie. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 boys named Wilfred in the last five years, 624 were named Will, against 1172 twenty years earlier.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Boys, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fred · also for Frederick, Alfred | Traditional | #1,936 | 458 |
| Will · also for William, Willard, Wilbur | Traditional | #1,195 | 886 |
| Freddie · also for Frederick, Alfred, Fred | Traditional | #1,510 | 414 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are boys given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Wilfreds go by each one.
Wilfred popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 103 since 1910.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #3,844 | 29 |
| 2020 | #3,914 | 27 |
| 2010 | #3,523 | 31 |
| 2000 | #2,329 | 42 |
| 1990 | #1,515 | 57 |
| 1980 | #1,054 | 74 |
| 1970 | #690 | 145 |
| 1960 | #503 | 249 |
| 1950 | #385 | 305 |
| 1940 | #313 | 325 |
| 1930 | #216 | 601 |
| 1920 | #176 | 802 |
| 1910 | #243 | 97 |
| 1900 | #223 | 81 |
| 1890 | #255 | 45 |
| 1880 | #380 | 21 |
How popular is Wilfred, counting every spelling?
Wilfred has no other common spelling that sounds the same.
How many kids will share the name Wilfred?
29 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Wilfred (0.01 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Wilfred 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 291 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Wilfred.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Wilfred?
About 8,300 people born in the US named Wilfred are alive today, with a median age of 64; half are between 47 and 76. That makes Wilfred 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.
Wilfred by state
How common Wilfred 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 Wilfred: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Wilfred, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Wilfred · Sibling names for Wilfred
Questions about the name Wilfred
What does Wilfred mean?
Wilfred means “"will" + "peace"” (Old English, Germanic origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Wilfred?
Wilfred was the 3844th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 29 babies. Its best year was 1917, when it ranked 164th; the most babies were born in 1920 (802). Over the last ten years it has moved up 554 places. More babies were named Wilfred in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Is Wilfred a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Wilfred in the US.
Where is Wilfred most popular?
In 2021–2025, Wilfred was most common in New York (0.02 per 1,000 boys), followed by Texas and Texas.