Red

Did you know?

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

⭐ Famous Red

Red Buttons

American comedian and actor (1919–2006)

Choose Red and your child shares a first name with Red Buttons, an American comedian and actor. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Red, like who?” Red Buttons's Wikipedia article is available in 46 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.

Read about Red Buttons on Wikipedia ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Photo: Alan Light at https://www.flickr.com/photos/alan-light/, CC BY 2.0 (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons

• 👶How commonAbout 1 in every 113,636 baby boys born in the US in 2025 was named Red, 15 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Red would very likely be the only one.
• 📜HistoryRed first shows up in US birth records in 1888, the first year at least 5 babies got it. It has been in use for 137 years since.
• 🏆Best yearIt was far more popular in 1890, when it ranked #884. Today it's #5,861, so it could be due a comeback.
• 🚀TrendRed has climbed 2,206 places in the US rankings over the last five years and now sits at #5,861. Fast risers like this often keep climbing, so expect to hear it more.
• 💬MeaningIn English, Red means “red-haired”. Our records link it to American and English roots.

About the name Red

Red is a boy name of American and English origin meaning “red-haired”. It has 3 letters and 1 syllable, starting with R and ending in “-red”. US birth records list Red for boys from 1888 to 2025, in 44 of those 138 years. Its best year was 1890, when it ranked #884 among boy names. In 2025 it ranked #5,861, with 15 babies.

Origin:American namesEnglish names