How Many People Are Named Fred?
An estimated 111,984 people in the United States have the first name Fred. While not in the top 50, it remains a well-known name ranking #482 overall. It is predominantly male (99.4%). The average bearer is 70 years old, and Fred peaked in popularity in 1924 with 6,566 births that year.
Below you will find a full statistical profile of Fred as a first name in the United States, including gender data, a year-by-year popularity timeline going back to 1880, a decade breakdown, and state-by-state birth registrations. You can also check how many people share the full name Fred paired with any surname.
Key Insights
- While Fred is overwhelmingly male, 2,029 female births have been registered with this name since 1880.
- With an average bearer age of 70, Fred is a vintage name most associated with earlier generations. Most living bearers were born before 1966.
- Fred has fallen dramatically from its peak in the 1920s. Recent registrations are less than 5% of what they were at the name's height.
Estimated Living Americans
111,984
About 1 in 3,061 people in the U.S.
Rarity
Common
Predicted Gender
Male
99.4% confidence
Average Age
70
years old
Peak Year
1924
6,566 births
Total Registered
345,605
since 1880
Gender Distribution for Fred
Fred is almost exclusively a male name. Out of 345,605 total births registered, 99.4% were male.
Fred as a male name
Ranked #1,686 in 2024
99 male births in 2024
Peak: 1924 (6,532 births)
Fred as a female name
Ranked #11,294 in 1989
6 female births in 1989
Peak: 1928 (64 births)
Fred: Popularity Over Time
SSA records for Fred span from the 1880s to the 2020s, covering 15 decades of naming data. The most popular decade for this name was the 1920s, when 63,216 babies were registered. Fred has declined significantly from its peak in the 1920s. Recent registrations are a fraction of what they were at the name's height.
Fred by Decade
How has Fred tracked across different eras? The table below groups all SSA birth registrations into 10-year periods, with separate male and female counts. The colored bar shows each decade's share relative to the peak.
| Decade | Total | Male | Female | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 15,706 | 15,602 | 104 | |
| 1890s | 14,395 | 14,270 | 125 | |
| 1900s | 13,169 | 13,076 | 93 | |
| 1910s | 44,663 | 44,345 | 318 | |
| 1920s | 63,216 | 62,743 | 473 | |
| 1930s | 56,494 | 56,162 | 332 | |
| 1940s | 56,872 | 56,665 | 207 | |
| 1950s | 37,585 | 37,446 | 139 | |
| 1960s | 23,313 | 23,190 | 123 | |
| 1970s | 9,500 | 9,426 | 74 | |
| 1980s | 4,851 | 4,810 | 41 | |
| 1990s | 2,779 | 2,779 | 0 | |
| 2000s | 1,559 | 1,559 | 0 | |
| 2010s | 1,042 | 1,042 | 0 | |
| 2020s | 461 | 461 | 0 | |
Fred by State
Birth registrations for Fred span all 51 states and territories in the SSA database. The highest counts are in New York, Pennsylvania, California. The lowest are in Nevada, Alaska, Delaware. On average, about 5,840 Freds were registered per state.
Fred + Last Name Combinations
How many people share a full name with Fred as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Names Similar to Fred
Other first names starting with F with a similar number of bearers.
Fred: Questions and Answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Fred?
We estimate approximately 111,984 people named Fred are alive in the United States today. This is based on SSA birth records from 1880 to 2024, adjusted for mortality using CDC life tables. About 1 in 3,061 Americans share this first name.
Is Fred a common name?
Fred is classified as "Common" and is more popular than 99.5% of all first names in the SSA database. A total of 345,605 births have been registered with this name since 1880.
When was Fred most popular?
Fred reached peak popularity in 1924, when 6,566 babies were given this name. The average age of a living person named Fred is approximately 70 years old, reflecting when the name was most commonly given.
Is Fred a male name?
Fred is predominantly male. 99.4% of people with this name are male. See the gender breakdown above for full details.
How many Fred Smiths are there?
To find how many people share a specific full name, we combine first name and surname frequencies. Try: Fred Smith, Fred Johnson, Fred Williams. You can also search any combination on our homepage.
Where does this data come from?
Our estimates use Social Security Administration birth records (1880 to 2024), adjusted for survival using CDC 2023 life tables broken down by sex. The U.S. population figure (342,754,338) is from the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimate. Full methodology.
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