Boy name · Germanic
Baldwin
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: bold friendBaldwin is a boy's name that comes from Germanic and means "bold friend". It is used in English, German and Dutch.
- Meaning
- Bold friend
- Origin
- Germanic
- Gender
- Boy
- Letters
- 7
Meaning and origin of Baldwin
As a boy's name, Baldwin comes from Germanic and means "bold friend". It is used in English, German and Dutch.
Baldwin is also a surname: the 411th most common in the 2020 US Census, held by 77,881 people. See the most common last names.
Its meaning puts Baldwin on our names that mean strong list.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Baldwin on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Baldwin on 3 lists.
“Bold friend; Germanic. Counts of Flanders and crusader kings of Jerusalem”
From Medieval names and surnames, medieval male names from England and France
“Bold friend; Germanic, a name of crusader kings”
From Names that mean strong, names that mean brave
“Bold friend; Germanic, borne by crusader kings of Jerusalem”
From Strong boy names, boy names that mean brave or bold
How popular is Baldwin?
- Recent US rank
- Fewer than 5 babies in 2025
- Best rank
- #922 in 1880
- Most babies: 13 in 1965
- Babies since 1880
- At least 634
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 5 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 0 per million |
| 1900s | 0 per million |
| 1910s | 10 per million |
| 1920s | 8 per million |
| 1930s | 4 per million |
| 1940s | 1 per million |
| 1950s | 3 per million |
| 1960s | 3 per million |
| 1970s | 1 per million |
| 1980s | 2 per million |
| 1990s | 5 per million |
| 2000s | 3 per million |
| 2010s | 3 per million |
| 2020s | 3 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #10,895 | #7,626 | #8,237 | #7,232 | #10,757 | #7,661 | #9,078 | #10,989 | – | – |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Names with a similar meaning
- OscarPossibly deer friend (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- KonradBold counsel (Germanic, boy)
- LeopoldBold people (Germanic, boy)
- LeopoldinaBold people (Germanic, girl)
- ArchibaldGenuinely bold (Germanic, boy)
- ArchieGenuinely bold (Germanic, boy)
- BellamyBeautiful friend (Old French, unisex)
- CaraFriend in Irish; beloved in Italian (Irish and Italian, girl)
- ConradBold counsel (Germanic, boy)
- KhalilFriend, companion (Arabic, boy)
Middle names for Baldwin
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a shorter length, so the full name flows.
More boy names from Germanic
- HugoHeart, mind (Germanic, boy)
- LiamShort for William, will helmet (Germanic, boy)
- RobertBright fame (Germanic, boy)
- LambertBright land (Germanic, boy)
- LeonardoBrave lion (Germanic, boy)
- AlaricRuler of all (Germanic, boy)
- AlbertNoble and bright (Germanic, boy)
- AlbertoNoble and bright (Germanic, boy)
- ArmandoArmy man (Germanic, boy)
- ArnoEagle (Germanic, boy)
Baldwin: common questions
What does the name Baldwin mean?
Baldwin comes from Germanic and means "bold friend".
Is Baldwin a boy or girl name?
Baldwin is mainly a boy's name.
Where does the name Baldwin come from?
Baldwin comes from Germanic and means "bold friend". Today it is used in English, German and Dutch.
What middle names go with Baldwin?
Middle names that flow well with Baldwin include Alton, Chase, Eli, Jack and Jude. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.