Mildred

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

⭐ Famous Mildred

Mildred Dresselhaus

American physicist (1930-2017)

Choose Mildred and your child shares a first name with Mildred Dresselhaus, an American physicist. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Mildred, like who?” Mildred Dresselhaus's Wikipedia article is available in 38 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.

Read about Mildred Dresselhaus on Wikipedia ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Photo: Official White House Photo by Pete Souza, Public domain (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons

• 👶How commonAbout 1 in every 16,393 baby girls born in the US in 2025 was named Mildred, 98 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Mildred would very likely be the only one.
• 📜HistoryMildred has been in use since at least 1880, the first year US birth records were kept. That's 145 years of Mildreds, and counting.
• 🏆Best yearIt was far more popular in 1920, when it ranked #6. Today it's #1,962, so it could be due a comeback.
• 📍Where it's lovedMildred is most popular in Ohio, where it ranks #959. It's in the top 1,000 in 1 state.
• 💬MeaningIn Old English, Mildred means “gentle strength”. Our records link it to American and Old English roots.

About the name Mildred

Mildred is a girl name of American and Old English origin meaning “gentle strength”. It has 7 letters and 1 syllable, starting with M and ending in “-red”. US birth records list Mildred for girls from 1880 to 2025, in 146 of those 146 years. Its best year was 1920, when it ranked #6 among girl names. In 2025 it ranked #1,962, with 98 babies.

Origin:American namesOld English names