Boy name · Germanic
Frederick
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: peaceful rulerFrederick is a boy's name that comes from Germanic and means "peaceful ruler". It is used in English and German.
- Meaning
- Peaceful ruler
- Origin
- Germanic
- Gender
- Boy
- US rank
- #435 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Frederick
As a boy's name, Frederick comes from Germanic and means "peaceful ruler". It is used in English and German.
Frederick is also a surname: the 863rd most common in the 2020 US Census, held by 39,331 people. See the most common last names.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Frederick on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Frederick on 3 lists.
“Peaceful ruler; Germanic. Distinguished and warm”
From Boy middle names, long middle names for short first names
“Peaceful ruler; Germanic. Prussia's most famous king”
From Classic boy names, royal and noble boy names
“Peaceful ruler; Germanic, borne by Prussian kings”
From Strong boy names, powerful boy names for kings and leaders
How popular is Frederick?
- US rank in 2025
- #435
- 728 babies, 426 per million boys
- Best rank
- #33 in 1880
- Most babies: 4,984 in 1951
- Babies since 1880
- At least 266,060
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 4,202 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 3,501 per million |
| 1900s | 2,873 per million |
| 1910s | 3,527 per million |
| 1920s | 2,860 per million |
| 1930s | 2,518 per million |
| 1940s | 2,627 per million |
| 1950s | 2,191 per million |
| 1960s | 1,597 per million |
| 1970s | 1,255 per million |
| 1980s | 707 per million |
| 1990s | 454 per million |
| 2000s | 282 per million |
| 2010s | 294 per million |
| 2020s | 382 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #512 | #500 | #499 | #476 | #484 | #476 | #478 | #507 | #422 | #435 |
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.
Nicknames for Frederick
Established short forms and pet names, not made-up ones.
- Fredcommon English nickname
- Freddiecommon English nickname
- Rickcommon English nickname
Other forms of Frederick
The same name in other languages and spellings, with the same meaning and origin.
- FadriquePeaceful ruler (Germanic, boy)
- FedericoPeaceful ruler (Germanic, boy)
- FietePeaceful ruler (Germanic, boy)
- FreddiePeaceful ruler (Germanic, boy)
- FrédéricPeaceful ruler (Germanic, boy)
- FredrikPeaceful ruler (Germanic, boy)
- FriedrichPeaceful ruler (Germanic, boy)
- FritzPeaceful ruler (Germanic, boy)
- FryderykPeaceful ruler (Germanic, boy)
Names with a similar meaning
- ErikEternal ruler (Old Norse, boy)
- RicardaBrave ruler (Germanic, girl)
- AlaricRuler of all (Germanic, boy)
- HenryHome ruler (Germanic, boy)
- RichardBrave ruler (Germanic, boy)
- AubreyElf ruler (Germanic, unisex)
- DerekRuler of the people (Germanic, boy)
- DirkRuler of the people (Germanic, boy)
- DonalWorld ruler (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- DonaldWorld ruler (Scottish Gaelic, boy)
Middle names for Frederick
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)
- AlbertNoble and bright (Germanic, boy)
- AlbertoNoble and bright (Germanic, boy)
- ArmandoArmy man (Germanic, boy)
- ArnoEagle (Germanic, boy)
- ArnoldEagle power (Germanic, boy)
Frederick: common questions
What does the name Frederick mean?
Frederick comes from Germanic and means "peaceful ruler".
Is Frederick a boy or girl name?
Frederick is mainly a boy's name.
What are nicknames for Frederick?
Common nicknames for Frederick include Fred, Freddie and Rick.
How popular is the name Frederick?
Frederick ranked #435 in the US in 2025, with 728 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are other forms of Frederick?
Forms of Frederick with the same meaning and origin include Fadrique (Spanish), Federico (Italian), Fiete (German), Freddie (English) and Frédéric (French).
What middle names go with Frederick?
Middle names that flow well with Frederick include Alton, Heath, Hugh, Isaac and Lamar. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.