Fred Boy
Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: fred //frɛd//
Origin: Germanic; Old English
Meaning: Peaceful ruler; joyful
Historical & Cultural Background
The name Fred is derived from the Old High German name "Friduwald," which is composed of the elements "fridu," meaning "peace," and "wald," meaning "rule" or "power." This name evolved through various linguistic stages, transitioning into the Old French "Friedrich" before being adopted into Middle English as "Frederick." The name ultimately became shortened to Fred as a diminutive form, which gained popularity in English-speaking countries over time. Historically, the name Frederick has been borne by several notable figures, including Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor, who reigned in the 12th century, and Frederick II, known as Frederick the Great, King of Prussia in the 18th century.
Additionally, the name appears in various forms in literature and historical texts, including the King James Bible, which contributed to its recognition and use in English-speaking contexts. The name Fred itself began to be used more frequently as a standalone name in the 19th century, reflecting a broader trend of adopting diminutive forms as given names.
Culturally, the name Fred has been associated with notions of peace and leadership, resonating with the original meanings of its components. It has been used in various literary and popular contexts, reinforcing its presence in Western culture.
The name Fred also has a notable connection to figures in folklore and popular media, such as Fred Flintstone from the animated television series "The Flintstones," which has contributed to its enduring recognition. Overall, the name Fred carries a rich historical and cultural significance, rooted in its etymological origins and historical milestones.
Famous people named Fred
In this section, you will find notable people named Fred. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Fred who have made a significant impact on popular culture.
We also feature individuals named Fred who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.
Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.
Fred Astaire is a dancer, singer, and actor best known for Top Hat, Swing Time, and Shall We Dance.
Fred Rogers is a television personality best known for Mister Rogers' Neighborhood.
Fred Durst is a musician best known as the lead vocalist of Limp Bizkit.
Fred Savage is an actor and director best known for The Wonder Years, The Princess Bride, and Boy Meets World.
Fred Armisen is a comedian and actor best known for Saturday Night Live, Portlandia, and Documentary Now!.
Fred Couples is a professional golfer best known for winning The Masters and being a prominent figure in golf.
Fred Schneider is a musician best known as the lead vocalist of the B-52's.
Fred Willard is an actor and comedian best known for Best in Show, Waiting for Guffman, and This Is Spinal Tap.
Fred MacMurray is an actor best known for My Three Sons, Double Indemnity, and The Apartment.
Fred Gwynne is an actor best known for The Munsters and My Cousin Vinny.
Fictional characters named Fred
The following list of fictional characters named Fred is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.
You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.
Fred Flintstone is a fictional character from the animated television series The Flintstones. He is the bumbling yet lovable husband and father who works at the Slate and Company quarry in the prehistoric town of Bedrock.
Fred Weasley is a fictional character from the Harry Potter book series by J.K. Rowling. He is one of Ron Weasley's older brothers and a co-owner of the joke shop Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, known for his mischievous personality.
Sibling suggestions
If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Fred, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.
Similar names
Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Fred. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.
U.S. Historical Usage
The name Fred was first seen in the United States in 1880.
Fred has ranked as high as #74 nationally, which occurred in 1924, and has been most popular in New York, Pennsylvania, California, Illinois, and Texas.
In the past 5 years the name Fred has been trending down compared to the previous 5 years.
Popularity Over Time (National)
The name Fred is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Fred was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.
Popularity Over Time (National) — Table
We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Fred.
| Year | Total Births | Boy | Girl |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 80 | 80 | 0 |
| 2024 | 99 | 99 | 0 |
| 2023 | 98 | 98 | 0 |
| 2022 | 83 | 83 | 0 |
| 2021 | 98 | 98 | 0 |
| 2020 | 83 | 83 | 0 |
| 2019 | 98 | 98 | 0 |
| 2018 | 99 | 99 | 0 |
| 2017 | 105 | 105 | 0 |
| 2016 | 109 | 109 | 0 |
| 2015 | 101 | 101 | 0 |
| 2014 | 111 | 111 | 0 |
| 2013 | 102 | 102 | 0 |
| 2012 | 106 | 106 | 0 |
| 2011 | 105 | 105 | 0 |
| 2010 | 107 | 107 | 0 |
| 2009 | 121 | 121 | 0 |
| 2008 | 133 | 133 | 0 |
| 2007 | 143 | 143 | 0 |
| 2006 | 175 | 175 | 0 |
| 2005 | 148 | 148 | 0 |
| 2004 | 161 | 161 | 0 |
| 2003 | 152 | 152 | 0 |
| 2002 | 187 | 187 | 0 |
| 2001 | 182 | 182 | 0 |
| 2000 | 157 | 157 | 0 |
| 1999 | 200 | 200 | 0 |
| 1998 | 217 | 217 | 0 |
| 1997 | 221 | 221 | 0 |
| 1996 | 257 | 257 | 0 |
| 1995 | 245 | 245 | 0 |
| 1994 | 256 | 256 | 0 |
| 1993 | 314 | 314 | 0 |
| 1992 | 316 | 316 | 0 |
| 1991 | 368 | 368 | 0 |
| 1990 | 385 | 385 | 0 |
| 1989 | 422 | 416 | 6 |
| 1988 | 392 | 392 | 0 |
| 1987 | 380 | 380 | 0 |
| 1986 | 443 | 443 | 0 |
| 1985 | 463 | 463 | 0 |
| 1984 | 463 | 449 | 14 |
| 1983 | 546 | 546 | 0 |
| 1982 | 560 | 554 | 6 |
| 1981 | 590 | 582 | 8 |
| 1980 | 592 | 585 | 7 |
| 1979 | 617 | 612 | 5 |
| 1978 | 699 | 694 | 5 |
| 1977 | 756 | 747 | 9 |
| 1976 | 804 | 799 | 5 |
| 1975 | 845 | 840 | 5 |
| 1974 | 896 | 890 | 6 |
| 1973 | 1,033 | 1,020 | 13 |
| 1972 | 1,045 | 1,039 | 6 |
| 1971 | 1,294 | 1,281 | 13 |
| 1970 | 1,510 | 1,503 | 7 |
| 1969 | 1,591 | 1,575 | 16 |
| 1968 | 1,582 | 1,570 | 12 |
| 1967 | 1,705 | 1,687 | 18 |
| 1966 | 1,889 | 1,881 | 8 |
| 1965 | 2,152 | 2,146 | 6 |
| 1964 | 2,472 | 2,464 | 8 |
| 1963 | 2,540 | 2,525 | 15 |
| 1962 | 2,868 | 2,854 | 14 |
| 1961 | 3,103 | 3,091 | 12 |
| 1960 | 3,410 | 3,396 | 14 |
| 1959 | 3,592 | 3,582 | 10 |
| 1958 | 3,530 | 3,513 | 17 |
| 1957 | 3,657 | 3,637 | 20 |
| 1956 | 3,588 | 3,578 | 10 |
| 1955 | 3,517 | 3,502 | 15 |
| 1954 | 3,705 | 3,695 | 10 |
| 1953 | 3,801 | 3,789 | 12 |
| 1952 | 3,979 | 3,960 | 19 |
| 1951 | 4,006 | 3,994 | 12 |
| 1950 | 4,209 | 4,195 | 14 |
| 1949 | 4,745 | 4,731 | 14 |
| 1948 | 5,392 | 5,376 | 16 |
| 1947 | 6,409 | 6,392 | 17 |
| 1946 | 6,040 | 6,012 | 28 |
| 1945 | 5,128 | 5,118 | 10 |
| 1944 | 5,597 | 5,580 | 17 |
| 1943 | 6,192 | 6,168 | 24 |
| 1942 | 6,113 | 6,088 | 25 |
| 1941 | 5,644 | 5,619 | 25 |
| 1940 | 5,612 | 5,581 | 31 |
| 1939 | 5,561 | 5,538 | 23 |
| 1938 | 5,797 | 5,768 | 29 |
| 1937 | 5,764 | 5,738 | 26 |
| 1936 | 5,635 | 5,602 | 33 |
| 1935 | 5,525 | 5,493 | 32 |
| 1934 | 5,497 | 5,466 | 31 |
| 1933 | 5,322 | 5,287 | 35 |
| 1932 | 5,554 | 5,525 | 29 |
| 1931 | 5,740 | 5,698 | 42 |
| 1930 | 6,101 | 6,049 | 52 |
| 1929 | 5,910 | 5,856 | 54 |
| 1928 | 6,100 | 6,036 | 64 |
| 1927 | 6,370 | 6,313 | 57 |
| 1926 | 6,495 | 6,447 | 48 |
| 1925 | 6,242 | 6,205 | 37 |
| 1924 | 6,566 | 6,532 | 34 |
| 1923 | 6,355 | 6,314 | 41 |
| 1922 | 6,292 | 6,245 | 47 |
| 1921 | 6,540 | 6,496 | 44 |
| 1920 | 6,345 | 6,298 | 47 |
| 1919 | 6,148 | 6,091 | 57 |
| 1918 | 6,235 | 6,182 | 53 |
| 1917 | 6,032 | 5,986 | 46 |
| 1916 | 5,783 | 5,745 | 38 |
| 1915 | 5,816 | 5,778 | 38 |
| 1914 | 4,472 | 4,441 | 31 |
| 1913 | 3,643 | 3,624 | 19 |
| 1912 | 3,115 | 3,103 | 12 |
| 1911 | 1,824 | 1,808 | 16 |
| 1910 | 1,595 | 1,587 | 8 |
| 1909 | 1,362 | 1,355 | 7 |
| 1908 | 1,390 | 1,381 | 9 |
| 1907 | 1,380 | 1,371 | 9 |
| 1906 | 1,201 | 1,193 | 8 |
| 1905 | 1,289 | 1,284 | 5 |
| 1904 | 1,234 | 1,223 | 11 |
| 1903 | 1,211 | 1,204 | 7 |
| 1902 | 1,295 | 1,286 | 9 |
| 1901 | 1,147 | 1,133 | 14 |
| 1900 | 1,660 | 1,646 | 14 |
| 1899 | 1,192 | 1,182 | 10 |
| 1898 | 1,459 | 1,447 | 12 |
| 1897 | 1,315 | 1,301 | 14 |
| 1896 | 1,408 | 1,393 | 15 |
| 1895 | 1,498 | 1,483 | 15 |
| 1894 | 1,485 | 1,475 | 10 |
| 1893 | 1,502 | 1,493 | 9 |
| 1892 | 1,641 | 1,628 | 13 |
| 1891 | 1,375 | 1,362 | 13 |
| 1890 | 1,520 | 1,506 | 14 |
| 1889 | 1,568 | 1,554 | 14 |
| 1888 | 1,680 | 1,665 | 15 |
| 1887 | 1,465 | 1,454 | 11 |
| 1886 | 1,608 | 1,599 | 9 |
| 1885 | 1,570 | 1,562 | 8 |
| 1884 | 1,648 | 1,638 | 10 |
| 1883 | 1,512 | 1,502 | 10 |
| 1882 | 1,650 | 1,641 | 9 |
| 1881 | 1,427 | 1,418 | 9 |
| 1880 | 1,578 | 1,569 | 9 |
Top States for Fred (2024)
We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.
| State | Births | Share |
|---|---|---|
| CA | 16 | |
| NY | 10 | |
| FL | 7 | |
| TX | 6 |