Total births
343,655
Boys' name · since 1880
Fred
343,655 babies named Fred in U.S. Social Security records since 1880, with the highest year being 1924. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #1685
- among boys today
- 343,655
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 88%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Fred is the #1685 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 343,655 recorded since 1880.
Social Security Administration records show Fred recorded 343,655 times among boys since 1880, holding rank #1685 nationally today, ahead of 88% of boys, peaking in the 1920s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #1685 among boys today
- 343,655 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 88% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Fred is currently the #1685 boys' name in America, more common than 88% of boys - 343,655 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #1685
- among boys today
- 343,655
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 88%
- more common than other boys
Fred vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#1685
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 88% of names given to boys today.
1920s
Peak decade
18% of everyone ever named Fred was born in this single decade.
1924
Single peak year
6,532 babies were named Fred in 1924 - its busiest year on record.
How Fred compares
343,655 Top 1% higher than 99% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Fred's all-time total is 936x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Fred | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 343,655 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 6,532 | 23 | 22,252 |
Fred's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Fred's SSA record in two at 1953 and the more recent half accounts for 20% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 80%, consistent with a name more common in the past than in recent years. Its calmest year was 2025, with only 80 births recorded -- set against the 1924 peak of 6,532, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Fred at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1924
Current rank
#1,685
Active since
1880
Fred popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1924)
- 6,532
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Fred popularity over time - girls
2,029 total births recorded since 1880 (Fred as girls' name)
Fred by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Fred's strongest decade.
62,742 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 18% of all-time use.
Fred births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 15,602
1880s
15,602 births
- 1890s 14,270
1890s
14,270 births
- 1900s 13,076
1900s
13,076 births
- 1910s
1910s
44,345 births
- 1920s
1920s
62,742 births
- 1930s
1930s
56,164 births
- 1940s
1940s
56,665 births
- 1950s
1950s
37,445 births
- 1960s 23,189
1960s
23,189 births
- 1970s 9,425
1970s
9,425 births
- 1980s 4,810
1980s
4,810 births
- 1990s 2,779
1990s
2,779 births
- 2000s 1,559
2000s
1,559 births
- 2010s 1,043
2010s
1,043 births
- 2020s 541
2020s
541 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 62,742 births (18% of all-time use).
How Fred compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Fred's total volume
Fred vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Fred by state
Where Fred concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 25,515 | 7.4% |
| #2 | Pennsylvania | | 19,225 | 5.6% |
| #3 | California | | 18,846 | 5.5% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 17,668 | 5.1% |
| #5 | Texas | | 15,889 | 4.6% |
| #6 | Ohio | | 15,226 | 4.4% |
| #7 | North Carolina | | 11,933 | 3.5% |
| #8 | Michigan | | 11,415 | 3.3% |
New York share of Fred's total US births 7.4%
Even split
25,515 of 343,655 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Fred appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Fred? ▼
Fred has been given to 343,655 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #1685 as of the latest data. 6,532 babies were born in 1924, its single highest year.
When was Fred most popular? ▼
Fred was most popular in the 1920s decade with 62,742 total births. The single peak year was 1924.
Where is Fred most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Fred are New York (25,515 births), Pennsylvania (19,225 births), California (18,846 births).
How long has the name Fred been used? ▼
Records for Fred go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Fred? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Frederick, Freddie, Fredrick, Freddy, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Fred's data
- Fred's decade-level peak was the 1920s (62,742 total births); usage has since declined to 541 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Freds (25,515 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Fred
Nearby Names Like Fred
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Fred
Frederick Boy
#422 266,060 births
Freddie Boy
#1957 73,315 births
Fredrick Boy
#1631 64,527 births
Freddy Boy
#1333 26,796 births
Frederic Boy
#2873 14,440 births
Compare Fred side by side: Fred vs Frederick Fred vs Freddie Fred vs Fredrick
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Fred
Riggins #1684
984 births · Peak 2023
Steve #1686
241,224 births · Peak 1959
Sire #1683
1,715 births · Peak 2022
Myron #1687
45,369 births · Peak 1930
Deegan #1682
3,453 births · Peak 2011
Arnold #1688
103,846 births · Peak 1924
Izayah #1681
4,269 births · Peak 2011
Karl #1689
100,836 births · Peak 1960
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Fred: #1685 Boys' Name - 343,655 Births, Peak 1924." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/fred. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Fred draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.