Total births
29,417
Boys' name · since 1880
Wilfred
29,417 babies named Wilfred in U.S. Social Security records since 1880, with the highest year being 1920. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #4702
- among boys today
- 29,417
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 67%
- more common than other boys
29,417 babies have been named Wilfred since 1880, making it today's #4702 boys' name.
Wilfred has 29,417 recorded births among boys since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #4702 as of the latest data, more common than 67% of boys, busiest in the 1920s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #4702 among boys today
- 29,417 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 67% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Wilfred is currently the #4702 boys' name in America, more common than 67% of boys - 29,417 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #4702
- among boys today
- 29,417
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 67%
- more common than other boys
Wilfred vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#4702
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 67% of names given to boys today.
1920s
Peak decade
24% of everyone ever named Wilfred was born in this single decade.
1920
Single peak year
802 babies were named Wilfred in 1920 - its busiest year on record.
How Wilfred compares
29,417 Top 5% higher than 95% 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
Wilfred's all-time total is 80x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Wilfred | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 29,417 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 802 | 23 | 22,252 |
Wilfred's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Wilfred's SSA record in two at 1953 and the more recent half accounts for 24% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 76%, consistent with a name more common in the past than in recent years. Its calmest year was 2012, with only 18 births recorded -- set against the 1920 peak of 802, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Wilfred at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1920
Current rank
#4,702
Active since
1880
Wilfred popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1920)
- 802
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Wilfred popularity over time - girls
103 total births recorded since 1910 (Wilfred as girls' name)
Wilfred by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Wilfred's strongest decade.
7,134 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 24% of all-time use.
Wilfred births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 308
1880s
308 births
- 1890s 510
1890s
510 births
- 1900s 767
1900s
767 births
- 1910s
1910s
4,976 births
- 1920s
1920s
7,134 births
- 1930s
1930s
4,490 births
- 1940s
1940s
3,263 births
- 1950s 2,833
1950s
2,833 births
- 1960s 1,954
1960s
1,954 births
- 1970s 1,063
1970s
1,063 births
- 1980s 804
1980s
804 births
- 1990s 541
1990s
541 births
- 2000s 343
2000s
343 births
- 2010s 262
2010s
262 births
- 2020s 169
2020s
169 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 7,134 births (24% of all-time use).
How Wilfred 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 Wilfred's total volume
Wilfred vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Wilfred by state
Where Wilfred concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 2,689 | 9.1% |
| #2 | Massachusetts | | 2,516 | 8.6% |
| #3 | Louisiana | | 2,260 | 7.7% |
| #4 | Michigan | | 1,265 | 4.3% |
| #5 | California | | 993 | 3.4% |
| #6 | Pennsylvania | | 963 | 3.3% |
| #7 | Illinois | | 904 | 3.1% |
| #8 | Minnesota | | 902 | 3.1% |
New York share of Wilfred's total US births 9.1%
Even split
2,689 of 29,417 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 46 reporting states.
Wilfred appears in 46 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Wilfred? ▼
Wilfred has been given to 29,417 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #4702 as of the latest data. 802 babies were born in 1920, its single highest year.
When was Wilfred most popular? ▼
Wilfred was most popular in the 1920s decade with 7,134 total births. The single peak year was 1920.
Where is Wilfred most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Wilfred are New York (2,689 births), Massachusetts (2,516 births), Louisiana (2,260 births).
How long has the name Wilfred been used? ▼
Wilfred has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 146 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Wilfred? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include William, Willie, Willard, Wilbur, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Wilfred's data
- Wilfred's decade-level peak was the 1920s (7,134 total births); usage has since declined to 169 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Wilfreds (2,689 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 Wilfred
Nearby Names Like Wilfred
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Wilfred
William Boy
#10 4,199,696 births
Willie Boy
#1364 450,188 births
Willard Boy
#2958 77,658 births
Wilbur Boy
#2959 56,906 births
Willis Boy
#2638 52,336 births
Compare Wilfred side by side: Wilfred vs William Wilfred vs Willie Wilfred vs Willard
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Wilfred
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. "Wilfred: #4702 Boys' Name - 29,417 Births, Peak 1920." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/wilfred. 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 Wilfred 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.