# Wilfred (first name)

Source: https://namelineage.com/first-name/wilfred/  
Publisher: Name Lineage. US counts from the Social Security Administration; England and Wales counts from the Office for National Statistics; meaning and etymology from Wiktionary. Data updated 2026-11-11.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Usually given to | boys |
| Origin | English |
| Meaning | “will”, “peace” |
| Pronunciation | /ˈwɪlfɹɪd/, 2 syllables |
| Nicknames | Wilf |
| Variant spellings | Wilfrid, Wildred |
| US babies named this | 29,520 since 1880 |
| Boys / girls in the US | 29,417 / 103 (0% girls) |
| Babies in England and Wales | 5,777, 1996 to 2025 |

## Etymology

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

## What it means

Wilfred is grouped under peace.

## Popularity

The last 15 years of each series. A year is missing when too few babies were given the name for the agency to publish it: five in the US, three in England and Wales.

### United States, girls

| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1910 | 5 | 2,776 |
| 1913 | 5 | 3,694 |
| 1915 | 11 | 2,682 |
| 1918 | 5 | 5,568 |
| 1919 | 8 | 3,805 |
| 1920 | 9 | 3,591 |
| 1921 | 10 | 3,392 |
| 1922 | 8 | 4,004 |
| 1925 | 6 | 4,955 |
| 1926 | 10 | 3,263 |
| 1927 | 5 | 5,588 |
| 1928 | 10 | 3,157 |
| 1929 | 6 | 4,553 |
| 1956 | 5 | 6,877 |

### United States, boys

| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 23 | 4,343 |
| 2012 | 18 | 5,239 |
| 2013 | 30 | 3,577 |
| 2014 | 28 | 3,782 |
| 2015 | 23 | 4,398 |
| 2016 | 33 | 3,438 |
| 2017 | 23 | 4,459 |
| 2018 | 28 | 3,883 |
| 2019 | 25 | 4,222 |
| 2020 | 27 | 3,914 |
| 2021 | 39 | 3,118 |
| 2022 | 24 | 4,434 |
| 2023 | 29 | 3,873 |
| 2024 | 21 | 4,877 |
| 2025 | 29 | 3,844 |

### England and Wales, boys

| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 146 | 305 |
| 2012 | 157 | 293 |
| 2013 | 205 | 245 |
| 2014 | 234 | 235 |
| 2015 | 310 | 184 |
| 2016 | 306 | 183 |
| 2017 | 326 | 169 |
| 2018 | 383 | 146 |
| 2019 | 405 | 142 |
| 2020 | 384 | 145 |
| 2021 | 388 | 147 |
| 2022 | 400 | 137 |
| 2023 | 447 | 116 |
| 2024 | 408 | 133 |
| 2025 | 475 | 113 |

## In other languages

- Catalan: Guifré
- Dutch: Wilfred
- French: Wilfrid, Wilfried
- Georgian: ვილფრედი
- German: Wilfried
- Italian: Vilfredo
- Spanish: Wilfredo

## People named Wilfred

- Wilfred Owen, English Skateboarder 1893-1918)
- Wilfred Bouma, Dutch footballer (born 1978)
- Wilfred Thesiger, British explorer, military officer, writer and botanical collector (1910-2003)
- Wilfred Bion, British psychoanalyst & psychiatrist (1897–1979)
- Wilfred Jackson, American film director (1906–1988)
- Wilfred Lucas, actor, Film director (1871–1940)
- Wilfred Hudson Osgood, American zoologist (1875-1947)
- Wilfred Waters, English racing cyclist
- Wilfred Rhodes, Cricket player of England. (1877-1973)
- Wilfred White, British equestrian (1904–1995)
- Wilfred Cantwell Smith, Canadian academic (1916–2000)
- Wilfred Burchett, Australian journalist (1911-1983)

## How to read these numbers

A count is babies registered with that name in that year, not people alive now, so a name common a century ago can have a large total and few recent births.