Fred
Short form of Frederick, a Germanic name combining frid, peace, with ric, ruler. It also serves as a nickname for Alfred and Wilfred.
Fred in 2025
Fred was given to 80 babies in the United States in 2025, making it the 4,121st most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 41,442 babies born.
The history of Fred
Fred reached its highest point in 1924, when 6,566 babies were given the name, ranking 74th that year. Its best-ever ranking was 20th, in 1880.
Across the 146 years of records since 1880, 345,684 babies have been named Fred. Half of them were born before 1933, which places the name's centre of gravity with the Silent Generation.
Fred by decade
| Decade | Babies named Fred | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 15,706 | 20 |
| 1890s | 14,395 | 43 |
| 1900s | 13,169 | 67 |
| 1910s | 44,663 | 62 |
| 1920s | 63,215 | 70 |
| 1930s | 56,496 | 67 |
| 1940s | 56,872 | 80 |
| 1950s | 37,584 | 174 |
| 1960s | 23,312 | 252 |
| 1970s | 9,499 | 394 |
| 1980s | 4,851 | 708 |
| 1990s | 2,779 | 1,092 |
| 2000s | 1,559 | 1,958 |
| 2010s | 1,043 | 3,251 |
| 2020s | 541 | 3,601 |
Where Fred is heading
Fred has fallen 21% over the past decade, from 101 babies in 2015 to 80 in 2025.
That is less than 5% of its 1924 peak — Fred is now a rare name in the United States.
Names like Fred
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Fred.