Wilfred
- Gender
- Boy
- Say it
- WIL-frid
- Origin
- Old English
- UK rank, 2025
- #121 for boys
- US rank, 2025
- #3,756 for boys
Vintage revival
Wilfred is a boys' name of Old English origin, meaning “desiring peace”. In 2025 it ranked 121st for boys in the UK (479 babies) and 3,756th for boys in the US (29 babies).
What does Wilfred mean?
Old English: from Wilfrith
“desiring peace”
Saint Wilfrid was a 7th-century bishop of York who argued for Roman church customs at the Synod of Whitby.
More on Wiktionary.
Is Wilfred a girl's or a boy's name?
Wilfred is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 479 boys in the UK and 29 boys in the US. Too few girls were given it to be listed.
How popular is Wilfred in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #121among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 479about 1 in 630 boys
- Five-year trend
- Steadyup 14% in five years
- Same name in a class
- 2.2%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 479 boys in the UK were named Wilfred, making it the 121st most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 159th.
2025 had the most boys named Wilfred of any year since the records began in 1996.
Half of all the boys named Wilfred in the UK since 1996 were born between 2014 and 2022, the years shaded on the chart below.
Among boys in 2025, it was 113th in England and Wales and 647th in Scotland.
In the England and Wales top 100 for boys, which the ONS has published every ten years since 1904: 1904 (#31), 1914 (#35), 1924 (#55) and 1934 (#89).
Wilfred in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 479 | #121 |
| 2024 | 411 | #143 |
| 2023 | 457 | #134 |
| 2022 | 402 | #152 |
| 2021 | 392 | #160 |
| 2020 | 385 | #159 |
| 2019 | 409 | #157 |
| 2018 | 389 | #162 |
| 2017 | 330 | #186 |
| 2016 | 308 | #207 |
| 2015 | 310 | #208 |
| 2014 | 236 | #257 |
| 2013 | 210 | #266 |
| 2012 | 161 | #318 |
| 2011 | 148 | #334 |
| 2010 | 118 | #380 |
| 2009 | 131 | #344 |
| 2008 | 108 | #387 |
| 2007 | 65 | #544 |
| 2006 | 56 | #579 |
| 2005 | 58 | #527 |
| 2004 | 56 | #512 |
| 2003 | 51 | #525 |
| 2002 | 29 | #733 |
| 2001 | 26 | #748 |
| 2000 | 26 | #743 |
| 1999 | 32 | #623 |
| 1998 | 20 | #844 |
| 1997 | 19 | #864 |
| 1996 | 14 | #1,021 |
How popular is Wilfred in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #3,756among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 29about 1 in 59,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Steadydown 1% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 29 boys in the US were named Wilfred, making it the 3,756th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 3,808th. Its busiest year was 1920, with 802 boys.
Half of all the boys named Wilfred in the US since 1880 were born between 1920 and 1952, the years shaded on the chart below.
Wilfred in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 29 | #3,756 |
| 2024 | 21 | #4,697 |
| 2023 | 29 | #3,799 |
| 2022 | 24 | #4,299 |
| 2021 | 39 | #3,073 |
| 2020 | 27 | #3,808 |
| 2019 | 25 | #4,110 |
| 2018 | 28 | #3,789 |
| 2017 | 23 | #4,327 |
| 2016 | 33 | #3,357 |
| 2015 | 23 | #4,293 |
| 2014 | 28 | #3,691 |
| 2013 | 30 | #3,495 |
| 2012 | 18 | #5,030 |
| 2011 | 23 | #4,219 |
| 2010 | 31 | #3,452 |
| 2009 | 21 | #4,580 |
| 2008 | 33 | #3,342 |
| 2007 | 32 | #3,377 |
| 2006 | 29 | #3,522 |
| 2005 | 31 | #3,237 |
| 2004 | 40 | #2,639 |
| 2003 | 31 | #3,040 |
| 2002 | 44 | #2,333 |
| 2001 | 40 | #2,425 |
| 2000 | 42 | #2,294 |
| 1999 | 30 | #2,791 |
| 1998 | 60 | #1,697 |
| 1997 | 48 | #1,905 |
| 1996 | 37 | #2,213 |
| 1995 | 42 | #1,983 |
| 1994 | 62 | #1,511 |
| 1993 | 56 | #1,596 |
| 1992 | 65 | #1,412 |
| 1991 | 84 | #1,204 |
| 1990 | 57 | #1,495 |
| 1989 | 83 | #1,158 |
| 1988 | 70 | #1,212 |
| 1987 | 55 | #1,335 |
| 1986 | 66 | #1,160 |
| 1985 | 78 | #1,042 |
| 1984 | 96 | #891 |
| 1983 | 87 | #945 |
| 1982 | 111 | #840 |
| 1981 | 84 | #986 |
| 1980 | 74 | #1,047 |
| 1979 | 102 | #858 |
| 1978 | 88 | #920 |
| 1977 | 93 | #875 |
| 1976 | 99 | #838 |
| 1975 | 76 | #938 |
| 1974 | 122 | #735 |
| 1973 | 83 | #874 |
| 1972 | 109 | #760 |
| 1971 | 146 | #684 |
| 1970 | 145 | #688 |
| 1969 | 146 | #654 |
| 1968 | 127 | #666 |
| 1967 | 143 | #628 |
| 1966 | 190 | #556 |
| 1965 | 198 | #546 |
| 1964 | 199 | #558 |
| 1963 | 233 | #522 |
| 1962 | 232 | #520 |
| 1961 | 237 | #516 |
| 1960 | 249 | #501 |
| 1959 | 266 | #478 |
| 1958 | 258 | #487 |
| 1957 | 301 | #440 |
| 1956 | 268 | #461 |
| 1955 | 283 | #436 |
| 1954 | 255 | #451 |
| 1953 | 294 | #406 |
| 1952 | 297 | #400 |
| 1951 | 306 | #385 |
| 1950 | 305 | #382 |
| 1949 | 316 | #377 |
| 1948 | 292 | #397 |
| 1947 | 322 | #382 |
| 1946 | 321 | #364 |
| 1945 | 293 | #347 |
| 1944 | 350 | #320 |
| 1943 | 395 | #312 |
| 1942 | 341 | #328 |
| 1941 | 308 | #330 |
| 1940 | 325 | #312 |
| 1939 | 369 | #287 |
| 1938 | 404 | #276 |
| 1937 | 397 | #273 |
| 1936 | 420 | #264 |
| 1935 | 409 | #270 |
| 1934 | 423 | #264 |
| 1933 | 432 | #251 |
| 1932 | 521 | #230 |
| 1931 | 514 | #230 |
| 1930 | 601 | #214 |
| 1929 | 612 | #209 |
| 1928 | 636 | #211 |
| 1927 | 742 | #194 |
| 1926 | 641 | #214 |
| 1925 | 737 | #187 |
| 1924 | 728 | #193 |
| 1923 | 779 | #179 |
| 1922 | 720 | #190 |
| 1921 | 737 | #189 |
| 1920 | 802 | #176 |
| 1919 | 695 | #184 |
| 1918 | 731 | #179 |
| 1917 | 772 | #164 |
| 1916 | 723 | #165 |
| 1915 | 626 | #181 |
| 1914 | 463 | #187 |
| 1913 | 384 | #180 |
| 1912 | 317 | #185 |
| 1911 | 168 | #182 |
| 1910 | 97 | #242 |
| 1909 | 91 | #226 |
| 1908 | 98 | #208 |
| 1907 | 93 | #207 |
| 1906 | 75 | #227 |
| 1905 | 75 | #221 |
| 1904 | 80 | #206 |
| 1903 | 64 | #228 |
| 1902 | 63 | #226 |
| 1901 | 47 | #253 |
| 1900 | 81 | #219 |
| 1899 | 52 | #231 |
| 1898 | 76 | #197 |
| 1897 | 46 | #258 |
| 1896 | 71 | #211 |
| 1895 | 41 | #276 |
| 1894 | 44 | #261 |
| 1893 | 50 | #246 |
| 1892 | 45 | #266 |
| 1891 | 40 | #251 |
| 1890 | 45 | #252 |
| 1889 | 37 | #274 |
| 1888 | 36 | #297 |
| 1887 | 31 | #299 |
| 1886 | 27 | #325 |
| 1885 | 37 | #274 |
| 1884 | 33 | #301 |
| 1883 | 42 | #253 |
| 1882 | 22 | #377 |
| 1881 | 22 | #348 |
| 1880 | 21 | #373 |
Nicknames for Wilfred
Names like Wilfred
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Alfred Stanley Albert Ralph Edward Frederick Arthur Francis Chester Otis Leonard Henry
Other spellings of Wilfred
Names related to Wilfred
More Old English names
Alfie Teddy Waylon Audrey Edith Ozzy Edie Eddie Edwin Ted Teddie Eduardo Edgar Alden Edmund Kelsey
Sources
Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Wilfred: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/wilfred, updated 20 October 2026.