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Wilfred as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Wilfred

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The baby name Wilfred is a Male name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈwɪlfrɛd/ (WIL-fred).

Wilfred is English, Germanic in Origin.

Gender: Male
Syllables: 2.0
Origin: English, Germanic
Pronunciation: /ˈwɪlfrɛd/ (WIL-fred)

What is the meaning of the name Wilfred ?

The baby name Wilfred is a Male name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈwɪlfrɛd/ (WIL-fred).

Wilfred is English, Germanic in Origin.

Rooted in Old English, Wilfred combines wil “will, desire” and frith/fred “peace, protection,” yielding the sense “resolute for peace” or “peaceful will.” It appears in Anglo-Saxon records and in Latin as Wifredus/Wilfridus; the closely related saint’s name Wilfrid shaped its medieval visibility. Sir Walter Scott’s Ivanhoe (1819) spotlighted Wilfred of Ivanhoe, fueling a Victorian revival, and the name enjoyed wide use in Britain into the early 20th century, later declining yet retaining a dignified, vintage charm.

Variants include Wilfrid (older English), Wilfried (German and Dutch), Wilfredo (Spanish), Vilfredo (Italian/Portuguese), and medieval Wifred/Wifrid; related Catalan and Occitan forms appear as Guifré/Guifredo. Diminutives span Wilf, Will, and Fred/Freddie, with feminine Wilfreda/Wilfrida. Across these forms, the core meaning remains a blend of steadfast intent and peacemaking - an emblem of determined calm.

Wilfred has the following similar or variant Names

Wilfred – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
NA 0 #30 4 2,537
MO 0 #52 1 2,706
CM 0 #55 2 2,592
PR 0 #55 1 1,497
IN 0 #70 2 2,963
CN 0 #85 2 3,857
JM 0 #92 2 3,714
PH 0 #103 8 5,607
OM 0 #120 2 6,215
KW 0 #121 1 5,216
BW Boys 0 #130 20 4,685
CY Boys 0 #131 1 3,473
ID Boys 0 #135 1 4,130
BN Boys 0 #136 4 6,332
PR Boys 0 #158 17 2,508
MT Boys 0 #160 17 4,064
Sweden Boys 2022 #172 11 1,509
HU Boys 0 #173 2 3,954
AE 0 #184 4 10,220
RU 0 #194 1 3,641
NA Boys 0 #203 33 6,830
LU Boys 0 #220 1 4,970
GH 0 #232 12 5,396
MO Boys 0 #234 1 5,842
NA Girls 0 #237 1 7,146
SG 0 #237 33 11,010
NG 0 #239 26 5,926
JM Boys 0 #242 31 6,876
AO Boys 0 #245 5 5,568
TW Boys 0 #254 3 7,111
GH Boys 0 #265 82 8,138
Canada Boys 2024 #290 17 2,588
NL Boys 0 #292 1,235 5,873
GT 0 #300 15 5,948
JP Boys 0 #303 1 7,909
SA 0 #304 9 10,560
CZ Boys 0 #305 1 6,530
HK 0 #312 37 8,483
MY 0 #316 15 12,352
CM Boys 0 #324 261 12,054
CN Boys 0 #324 8 9,639
DK Boys 0 #327 6 7,401
PE 0 #328 2 6,350
NL 0 #330 62 2,481
GH Girls 0 #334 4 6,973
PH Boys 0 #335 49 11,440
QA Girls 0 #341 3 15,378
HK Boys 0 #347 195 12,905
MU Boys 0 #368 2 8,477
PT Boys 0 #379 3 7,951
GT Boys 0 #381 94 7,625
France Boys 2019 #392 3 2,886
ZA 0 #393 55 14,421
YE 0 #398 1 8,639
BO 0 #405 4 6,868
UY Boys 0 #410 4 5,922
NG Boys 0 #421 878 16,906
MX 0 #445 1 8,339
PA Boys 0 #454 28 9,305
ZA Boys 0 #457 1,194 25,619
SD Boys 0 #461 6 10,523
CO 0 #465 16 7,768
CR Boys 0 #469 19 10,188
AR Boys 0 #483 1 7,628
SG Boys 0 #508 193 17,960
BH 0 #523 31 17,937
CM Girls 0 #526 15 11,671
GT Girls 0 #541 1 7,500
LY 0 #553 7 12,703
BO Boys 0 #556 37 9,244
PS Boys 0 #557 5 10,655
KW Girls 0 #560 2 19,177
IR Boys 0 #565 1 10,162
AE Girls 0 #596 2 20,968
BD Boys 0 #605 1 10,045
IL Boys 0 #623 3 10,983
CL Boys 0 #624 42 13,390
SG Girls 0 #632 1 18,916
CO Boys 0 #636 308 15,656
IL Girls 0 #644 2 11,648
QA Boys 0 #667 41 18,093
Finland Boys 2026 #669 14 3,552
KW Boys 0 #694 76 18,755
IQ Boys 0 #695 3 13,071
NG Girls 0 #717 70 15,093
MY Boys 0 #753 378 25,439
BR Boys 0 #780 6 12,213
PE Boys 0 #796 83 14,506
OM Boys 0 #807 75 17,948
TN 0 #864 2 13,765
United States Boys 2024 #873 20 7,044
Spain Boys 0 #903 28 5,610
Germany Boys 0 #923 30 5,697
AE Boys 0 #947 146 22,615
MX Boys 0 #967 16 16,355
IN Boys 0 #980 22 16,750
MY Girls 0 #1,069 4 24,821
ZA Girls 0 #1,131 11 25,928
MA 0 #1,196 4 20,986
DZ 0 #1,229 6 20,130
TR 0 #1,251 4 19,440
IT Boys 0 #1,398 74 10,046
SA Boys 0 #1,469 146 28,008

Wilfred is popular in 67 countries — most recent births per country:

France
Canada
United States
Sweden
Scotland, United Kingdom

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People also ask about Wilfred

Wilfred is predominantly a boy's name.
Wilfred is a 2 syllable name, pronounced /ˈwɪlfrɛd/ (WIL-fred).
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Wilfrid, Wilfried, Wilfredo, Wilf, Wil and Willy.
Across languages, Wilfred has these equivalents: Wilfrid (Old English), Wilfried (German), Wilfredo (Spanish/Italian), Vilfredo (Italian).
Yes — Wilfred ranked #172 in Sweden in 2022, and appears in official birth registries across 6 countries.
Wilfred ranks highest in Sweden (#172 in 2022).
Wilfred's popularity is rising significantly. It moved from #412 in 2012 to #392 in 2019 in France.