Girl name · Old English
Mildred
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: gentle strengthMildred is a girl's name that comes from Old English and means "gentle strength". It is used in English.
- Meaning
- Gentle strength
- Origin
- Old English
- Gender
- Girl
- US rank
- #1973 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Mildred
As a girl's name, Mildred comes from Old English and means "gentle strength". It is used in English.
Its meaning puts Mildred on our names that mean strong list.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Mildred on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Mildred on 10 lists.
“A vintage classic with a no-nonsense attitude”
From Funny middle names, grand old-fashioned middle names
“Prim, proper and wearing pearls”
From Porch goose names, vintage and classic porch goose names
“Old English for gentle strength”
From Female cat names, vintage girl cat names
“Old English for gentle strength, prim and proper”
From Girl dog names, vintage human names for girl dogs
“Gentle strength; Old English. Abbess of Minster-in-Thanet in Kent, about 700”
From Medieval names and surnames, anglo-Saxon and Old English names
“Gentle strength; Old English”
From Names that mean strong, girl names that mean strong
“Gentle strength; Old English. Ready for a revival, with Millie for short”
From Strong female names, girl names that mean strong
“Gentle strength; Old English, an Anglo-Saxon abbess and saint”
From Unique girl names, unique vintage girl names
“Gentle strength; Old English. Millie for short”
From Vintage girl names, old fashioned girl names from the 1900s to 1920s
“Old English for gentle strength; a cozy witch's favorite”
From Witch names, witchy names for girls
How popular is Mildred?
- US rank in 2025
- #1,973
- 98 babies, 61 per million girls
- Best rank
- #6 in 1912
- Most babies: 18,060 in 1920
- Babies since 1880
- At least 451,415
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 2,224 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 6,208 per million |
| 1900s | 12,356 per million |
| 1910s | 15,203 per million |
| 1920s | 12,311 per million |
| 1930s | 5,790 per million |
| 1940s | 2,283 per million |
| 1950s | 914 per million |
| 1960s | 421 per million |
| 1970s | 185 per million |
| 1980s | 80 per million |
| 1990s | 49 per million |
| 2000s | 44 per million |
| 2010s | 45 per million |
| 2020s | 62 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,378 | #2,265 | #2,077 | #2,347 | #1,974 | #1,940 | #1,882 | #1,841 | #2,093 | #1,973 |
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 Mildred
Established short forms and pet names, not made-up ones.
- Millietraditional short form (English)
Other forms of Mildred
The same name in other languages and spellings, with the same meaning and origin.
- MilreadGentle strength (Old English, girl)
Names with a similar meaning
- GabrielGod is my strength (Hebrew, boy)
- MatildaStrength in battle (Germanic, girl)
- AngusOne strength (Scottish Gaelic, boy)
- ClementinaMerciful, gentle (Latin, girl)
- GabrielaGod is my strength (Hebrew, girl)
- GabriellaGod is my strength (Hebrew, girl)
- GertrudeSpear of strength (Germanic, girl)
- KevinGentle birth (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- MathildeStrength in battle (Germanic, girl)
- MatildeStrength in battle (Germanic, girl)
Middle names for Mildred
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a shorter length, so the full name flows.
More girl names from Old English
- EdithRich in war (Old English, girl)
- StormTempest (Old English, unisex)
- AudreyNoble strength (Old English, girl)
- HarperHarp player (Old English, unisex)
- LindenLime tree (Old English, unisex)
- LindsayLincoln island (Old English, unisex)
- SundayDay of the sun (Old English, unisex)
- ÆlfflædElf beauty (Old English, girl)
- ÆlfgifuElf gift (Old English, girl)
- ÆlfthrythElf strength (Old English, girl)
Mildred: common questions
What does the name Mildred mean?
Mildred comes from Old English and means "gentle strength".
Is Mildred a boy or girl name?
Mildred is mainly a girl's name.
What are nicknames for Mildred?
Common nicknames for Mildred include Millie.
How popular is the name Mildred?
Mildred ranked #1,973 in the US in 2025, with 98 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are other forms of Mildred?
Forms of Mildred with the same meaning and origin include Milread (Scottish).
What middle names go with Mildred?
Middle names that flow well with Mildred include Bess, Daisy, Eliza, Eve and Faith. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.