Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 1920

Wilfred

Meaning will Gender Boy Rank 2025 #3,844 Trend → Stable

The name of two early Anglo-Saxon saints Wilfriþ, from Old English wil (“will”) +‎ friþ (“peace”).

Rank 2025
#3,844
among boys · ↑1,033 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
29
named Wilfred · +38% vs 2024
How common
1 in 58,899
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1920
811 babies
All-time total
29,520
#688 all-time among boys
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Wilfred popularity over time

29,520 babies have been named Wilfred since 1880, 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
0.250.50.75118801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
BoysGirls

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 Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s – 308 308 31 – #258
1890s – 510 510 51 +66% #198
1900s – 767 767 77 +50% #206
1910s 34 4,976 5,010 501 +553% #164
1920s 64 7,134 7,198 720 +44% #176
1930s – 4,490 4,490 449 -38% #216
1940s – 3,263 3,263 326 -27% #313
1950s 5 2,833 2,838 284 -13% #385
1960s – 1,954 1,954 195 -31% #503
1970s – 1,063 1,063 106 -46% #687
1980s – 804 804 80 -24% #844
1990s – 541 541 54 -33% #1,215
2000s – 343 343 34 -37% #2,329
2010s – 262 262 26 -24% #3,438
2020s (to 2025) – 169 169 28 +8% #3,118

Where Wilfred 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 29 0.02 outside top 500
2027 29 0.02 outside top 500
2028 29 0.02 outside top 500
2029 29 0.02 outside top 500
2030 29 0.02 outside top 500

The story of Wilfred

Wilfred is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #3,844 in 2025 with 29 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 29,520 American babies have been named Wilfred. Its peak came in 1920, when 811 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1920s.

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 Wilfred stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Wilfred?

The median living Wilfred is about 65 years old; half are between 48 and 76. An estimated 9,200 people named Wilfred are alive in the United States today.

median 65 020406080100

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

Wilfred year by year

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

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 – – 29 #3,844
2024 – – 21 #4,877
2023 – – 29 #3,873
2022 – – 24 #4,434
2021 – – 39 #3,118
2020 – – 27 #3,914
2019 – – 25 #4,222
2018 – – 28 #3,883
2017 – – 23 #4,459
2016 – – 33 #3,438
2015 – – 23 #4,398
2014 – – 28 #3,782
2013 – – 30 #3,577
2012 – – 18 #5,239
2011 – – 23 #4,343
2010 – – 31 #3,523
2009 – – 21 #4,740
2008 – – 33 #3,415
2007 – – 32 #3,441
2006 – – 29 #3,597
2005 – – 31 #3,314
2004 – – 40 #2,694
2003 – – 31 #3,115
2002 – – 44 #2,371
2001 – – 40 #2,488
2000 – – 42 #2,329
1995 – – 42 #2,025
1990 – – 57 #1,515
1985 – – 78 #1,048
1980 – – 74 #1,054
1975 – – 76 #944
1970 – – 145 #690
1965 – – 198 #546
1960 – – 249 #503
1955 – – 283 #438
1950 – – 305 #385
1945 – – 293 #349
1940 – – 325 #313
1935 – – 409 #271
1930 – – 601 #216
1925 6 #4,955 737 #188
1920 9 #3,591 802 #176
1915 11 #2,682 626 #181
1910 5 #2,776 97 #243
1905 – – 75 #222
1900 – – 81 #223
1895 – – 41 #278
1890 – – 45 #255
1885 – – 37 #276
1880 – – 21 #380

Famous people named Wilfred

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

  1. 1 Wilfred Owen Wilfred Owen English poet and soldier (1893–1918) 19th century
  2. 2 Wilfred Bion Wilfred Bion English psychoanalyst and psychiatrist 1897–1979 · 19th century
  3. 3 Wilfred Thesiger Wilfred Thesiger British military officer, explorer, and writer 1910–2003 · Contemporary
  4. 4 Wilfred the Hairy Wilfred the Hairy Count of Barcelona and other counties (died 897) 840–897 · Medieval
  5. 5 Wilfred Agbonavbare Nigerian footballer (1966–2015) Contemporary
  6. 6 Wilfred Lucas Wilfred Lucas Canadian-American actor, director, and screenwriter (1871–1940) 19th century
  7. 7 Wilfred Baddeley Wilfred Baddeley British Tennis player (1872-1929) 19th century
  8. 8 Wilfred Bungei Wilfred Bungei Kenyan middle-distance runner b. 1980 · Contemporary
  9. 9 Wilfred Hudson Osgood Wilfred Hudson Osgood American zoologist (1875–1947) 19th century

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Wilfred?

The median living Wilfred is about 65 years old. Half of all living Wilfreds are between 48 and 76 years old.

How many people named Wilfred are alive today?

An estimated 9,200 people named Wilfred are alive in the United States, based on 29,520 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Wilfred mean?

The name of two early Anglo-Saxon saints Wilfriþ, from Old English wil (“will”) +‎ friþ (“peace”).

How popular is the name Wilfred in 2025?

Wilfred ranked #3,844 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 29 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Wilfred?

29,520 babies have been named Wilfred in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Wilfred most popular?

Wilfred peaked in 1920, when 811 newborns received the name.

Is Wilfred a boy or girl name?

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

Is the name Wilfred rising or falling?

Wilfred has been roughly stable over the past decade.

Will Wilfred become more popular?

Wilfred looks stable. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 29 boys named Wilfred in 2030, ranking outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Wilfred?

Well-known people named Wilfred include Wilfred Owen (writer), Wilfred Bion (psychologist), Wilfred Thesiger (explorer).

Names like Wilfred

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

Compare Wilfred with similar names → More names starting with W →