Frederick

Did you know?

A few things about Frederick you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.

⭐ Famous Frederick

Frederick Sanger

British biochemist (1918–2013)

Choose Frederick and your child shares a first name with Frederick Sanger, a British biochemist. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Frederick, like who?” Frederick Sanger's Wikipedia article is available in 87 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.

Read about Frederick Sanger on Wikipedia ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Photo: Wikimedia Commons, Public domain (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons

• 👶How commonAbout 1 in every 2,346 baby boys born in the US in 2025 was named Frederick, 728 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Frederick would very likely be the only one.
• 📜HistoryFrederick has been in use since at least 1880, the first year US birth records were kept. That's 145 years of Fredericks, and counting.
• 🏆Best yearIt was far more popular in 1880, when it ranked #33. Today it's #435, so it could be due a comeback.
• 🚀TrendFrederick has climbed 49 places in the US rankings over the last five years and now sits at #435. Fast risers like this often keep climbing, so expect to hear it more.
• 📍Where it's lovedFrederick is most popular in Maine, where it ranks #151, followed by New Hampshire (#188) and Minnesota (#213). It's in the top 1,000 in 35 states.
• 💬MeaningIn Germanic, Frederick means “peaceful ruler”.

About the name Frederick

Frederick is a boy name of French origin meaning “peaceful ruler”. It has 9 letters and 3 syllables, starting with F and ending in “-ick”. US birth records list Frederick for boys from 1880 to 2025, in 146 of those 146 years. Its best year was 1880, when it ranked #33 among boy names. In 2025 it ranked #435, with 728 babies.

Origin:French names