Fred
Boy name · #1932 in 2025 · Very rare
Fred ranks #1932 among American boys' names as of 2025, with 80 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #1588, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 22,500 boys born in 2025 was named Fred.
The 145-year story
Fred first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 1,569 boys received the name. Its peak came in 1924, when 6,532 boys were named Fred — good for #32 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Fred per year. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Fred against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Fred in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Fred is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Fred will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Fred is most common
State-level data for Fred is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Nicknames & related forms of Fred
Fred belongs to the Frederick family — closely related nicknames and spellings of the same name.
Counted as one name, the Frederick family went to about 1,051 boys in 2025 — together they'd rank around #324, versus #1932 for Fred alone.
Names like Fred
Statistically, parents drawn to Fred tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Floyd, Alfred, Wilfred, Boyd, and Lloyd.
FloydAlfredWilfredBoydLloydArnoldEarlBernard
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Fred | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 80 | #1932 |
| 2024 | 99 | #1685 |
| 2023 | 98 | #1711 |
| 2022 | 83 | #1892 |
| 2021 | 98 | #1678 |
| 2020 | 83 | #1798 |
| 2019 | 98 | #1652 |
| 2018 | 99 | #1638 |
| 2017 | 105 | #1554 |
| 2016 | 109 | #1532 |
| 2015 | 101 | #1588 |
| 2014 | 111 | #1465 |
| 2013 | 102 | #1546 |
| 2012 | 106 | #1514 |
| 2011 | 105 | #1516 |
| 2010 | 107 | #1517 |
| 2009 | 121 | #1403 |
| 2008 | 133 | #1303 |
| 2007 | 143 | #1229 |
| 2006 | 175 | #1038 |
| 2005 | 148 | #1112 |
| 2004 | 161 | #1016 |
| 2003 | 152 | #1037 |
| 2002 | 187 | #875 |
| 2001 | 182 | #875 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Fred a popular boy name?
Fred ranked #1932 among boys in 2025 with 80 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #1588.
When was the name Fred most popular?
Fred peaked in 1924, when 6,532 American boys received the name (ranked #32 that year). Since 1924 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Fred?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 22,500 newborn American boys was named Fred. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.