Where does the name Fred come from?

Fred is a boy name of Germanic origin.

Is Fred a boy or a girl name?

Fred is used for both. In U.S. Social Security records, about 1% of children given the name Fred are girls and 99% are boys.

How popular is the name Fred in 2023?

Fred ranks #1712 for boys in the U.S. Social Security Administration's 2023 dataset. Its all-time U.S. peak was 1924 with 6,566 babies.

How do you pronounce Fred?

Fred is pronounced FRED (1 syllable).

What are common spellings of Fred?

Fred is also written as Freddy, Freddie, Frederick.

A name from Germanic · Boy

Fred

A short form of Frederick, from Germanic frid ('peace') + ric ('ruler'); 'peaceful ruler'. Also serves as a short form of Alfred (Old English 'elf-counsel').

Compare

Popularity over time

A 143-year arc in numbers.

343,476 U.S. births recorded from 1880–2023.

Popularity · 1880–2023

98 births in 2023

1880 1951 2023

Babies named per year Peak year Most recent

Meaning

A name that means something.

FA short form of Frederick, from Germanic frid ('peace') + ric ('ruler'); 'peaceful ruler'. Also serves as a short form of Alfred (Old English 'elf-counsel').

Variants & spellings

3 ways to spell "Fred".

Each transliteration carries a slightly different cultural fingerprint.

Freddy Most common Freddie Frederick

Famous bearers

People who carry the name Fred.

F
Fred Astaire (dancer and actor)
F
Fred Rogers (Mr. Rogers)
F
Fred Hampton (civil rights leader)

Quick answers

People often ask about Fred.

What does the name Fred mean?: Fred means a short form of Frederick, from Germanic frid ('peace') + ric ('ruler'); 'peaceful ruler'. Also serves as a short form of Alfred (Old English 'elf-counsel').
Where does the name Fred come from?: Fred is a boy name of Germanic origin.
Is Fred a boy or a girl name?: Fred is used for both. In U.S. Social Security records, about 1% of children given the name Fred are girls and 99% are boys.
How popular is the name Fred in 2023?: Fred ranks #1712 for boys in the U.S. Social Security Administration's 2023 dataset. Its all-time U.S. peak was 1924 with 6,566 babies.
How do you pronounce Fred?: Fred is pronounced FRED (1 syllable).
What are common spellings of Fred?: Fred is also written as Freddy, Freddie, Frederick.

Similar names

If you love Fred, also consider…

Robert

#88

Boy ·Germanic

Bright fame; from 'hrod' (fame) and 'beraht' (bright)

From Old High German Ricohard — rīc, "ruler, power," + hard, "brave, strong" — i

Ruler of the home; estate ruler

Walter

#267

Boy ·Germanic

From Old High German Walthari — wald, "rule," + hari, "army" — i

About this page

Popularity counts come from the U.S. Social Security Administration's national dataset. Meanings and origins are curated from etymological sources. If you spot an error, please let us know.