boys' name ★ peaked 2001

Fidel

Meaning A male given name from Spanish Gender Boy Rank 2025 #1,875 Trend → Stable

A male given name from Spanish.

Rank 2025
#1,875
among boys · ↑52 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
84
named Fidel · +2% vs 2024
How common
1 in 20,334
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2001
195 babies
All-time total
11,321
#1,120 all-time among boys
First recorded
1892
in Social Security records

Fidel popularity over time

11,321 babies have been named Fidel since 1892, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.040.080.110.1518801900192019401960198020002020Peak 1995Boys

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Boys Per year Change Best rank
1880s – – – –
1890s 32 3 – #819
1900s 37 4 +16% #1,031
1910s 294 29 +695% #769
1920s 674 67 +129% #663
1930s 622 62 -8% #696
1940s 737 74 +18% #676
1950s 873 87 +18% #631
1960s 865 87 -1% #711
1970s 1,031 103 +19% #755
1980s 1,314 131 +27% #702
1990s 1,715 172 +31% #780
2000s 1,673 167 -2% #833
2010s 967 97 -42% #1,371
2020s (to 2025) 487 81 -16% #1,767

Where Fidel is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 boys Implied rank
2026 85 0.05 outside top 500
2027 86 0.05 outside top 500
2028 87 0.05 outside top 500
2029 88 0.05 outside top 500
2030 89 0.05 outside top 500

Where Fidel is most popular

Boys named Fidel per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.047 per 1,000. Strongest in California, Texas, and Arizona.

Vs national average
well below below near national above well above no data

All 50 states and DC, sorted by rate. Counts are boys named Fidel born 2021–2025; the per-1,000 rate makes states of different sizes comparable, and the last column shows each state against the national average.

State Boys 2021–2025 Per 1,000 vs national
California 131 0.143 +205%
Texas 78 0.089 +88%
Arizona 11 0.067 +43%
Colorado 5 0.039 -18%
North Carolina 6 0.023 -50%
Florida 5 0.011 -78%
Alaska – – –
Alabama – – –
Arkansas – – –
Connecticut – – –
District of Columbia – – –
Delaware – – –
Georgia – – –
Hawaii – – –
Iowa – – –
Idaho – – –
Illinois – – –
Indiana – – –
Kansas – – –
Kentucky – – –
Louisiana – – –
Massachusetts – – –
Maryland – – –
Maine – – –
Michigan – – –
Minnesota – – –
Missouri – – –
Mississippi – – –
Montana – – –
North Dakota – – –
Nebraska – – –
New Hampshire – – –
New Jersey – – –
New Mexico – – –
Nevada – – –
New York – – –
Ohio – – –
Oklahoma – – –
Oregon – – –
Pennsylvania – – –
Rhode Island – – –
South Carolina – – –
South Dakota – – –
Tennessee – – –
Utah – – –
Virginia – – –
Vermont – – –
Washington – – –
Wisconsin – – –
West Virginia – – –
Wyoming – – –

State counts come from the Social Security Administration's state files, which omit any state-year with fewer than five babies of a name, so small states can undercount slightly.

The story of Fidel

Fidel is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #1,875 in 2025 with 84 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.

Since 1892, 11,321 American babies have been named Fidel. Its peak came in 2001, when 195 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2000s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Fidel stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Fidel?

The median living Fidel is about 33 years old; half are between 20 and 51. An estimated 8,800 people named Fidel are alive in the United States today.

median 33 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Fidel year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Boys Boys rank
2025 84 #1,875
2024 82 #1,927
2023 92 #1,767
2022 84 #1,876
2021 64 #2,203
2020 81 #1,837
2019 104 #1,596
2018 69 #2,071
2017 87 #1,771
2016 92 #1,700
2015 96 #1,649
2014 90 #1,695
2013 97 #1,594
2012 100 #1,583
2011 122 #1,371
2010 110 #1,485
2009 137 #1,284
2008 141 #1,234
2007 176 #1,060
2006 155 #1,122
2005 179 #974
2004 165 #1,000
2003 168 #967
2002 179 #902
2001 195 #833
2000 178 #886
1995 190 #780
1990 159 #805
1985 127 #788
1980 110 #844
1975 112 #783
1970 95 #828
1965 91 #772
1960 109 #738
1955 73 #865
1950 76 #785
1945 66 #756
1940 55 #851
1935 60 #799
1930 80 #696
1925 56 #906
1920 55 #932
1915 28 #1,248
1910 8 #1,244
1905 6 #1,145
1900 – –
1895 5 #1,140
1890 – –
1885 – –
1880 – –

Famous people named Fidel

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Fidel Castro Fidel Castro Leader of Cuba from 1959 to 2011 1926–2016 · Contemporary
  2. 2 Fidel Ramos Fidel Ramos President of the Philippines from 1992 to 1998 b. 1928 · Contemporary
  3. 3 Fidel Sánchez Hernández Fidel Sánchez Hernández President of El Salvador from 1967 to 1972 1917–2003 · Contemporary
  4. 4 Fidel Martínez Fidel Martínez Ecuadorian footballer (born 1990) Contemporary
  5. 5 Fidel LaBarba Fidel LaBarba American boxer 1905–1981 · Contemporary
  6. 6 Fidel Uriarte Fidel Uriarte Spanish footballer and manager (1945–2016) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Fidel, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Fidel?

The median living Fidel is about 33 years old. Half of all living Fidels are between 20 and 51 years old.

How many people named Fidel are alive today?

An estimated 8,800 people named Fidel are alive in the United States, based on 11,321 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Fidel mean?

A male given name from Spanish.

How popular is the name Fidel in 2025?

Fidel ranked #1,875 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 84 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Fidel?

11,321 babies have been named Fidel in the United States since 1892, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Fidel most popular?

Fidel peaked in 2001, when 195 newborns received the name.

Is Fidel a boy or girl name?

Fidel is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Fidel rising or falling?

Fidel has been roughly stable over the past decade.

Will Fidel become more popular?

Fidel looks stable. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 89 boys named Fidel in 2030, ranking outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Fidel?

Well-known people named Fidel include Fidel Castro (politician), Fidel Ramos (politician), Fidel Sánchez Hernández (politician).

Names like Fidel

Names that sound and feel close to Fidel: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Fidel with similar names → More names starting with F →