Boy · Germanic (via German and French) · International
Frederick
FrederickSay it FRED-rik
- Meaning
- Peaceful ruler: frithu "peace" + rik "ruler" Online Etymology Dictionary, s.v. Frederick
- Say it
- FRED-rik
- Other spellings
- Frederic, Fredrick, Friedrich
Frederick
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Frederick meaning
Frederick is an international boy's name of Germanic origin (via German and French).
Peaceful ruler: frithu "peace" + rik "ruler"
Frederick comes through French Frédéric and German Friedrich from an old Germanic name that the Online Etymology Dictionary explains as "peace-rule". Its first part, frithu, "peace", is the same word as Old English friðu, "peace, truce"; its second, rik, means a ruler or king, from the same ancient root as Latin rex and Sanskrit rājan. That shared root gives Indian families a natural link. The name was carried by Holy Roman emperors and by Frederick the Great of Prussia, and it came into English use through German royal families. Fred, Freddie and Fritz are its short forms.
Source: Online Etymology Dictionary (etymonline.com), s.v. Frederick · entry Frederick · See the entry · checked 25 Oct 2026
References: Online Etymology Dictionary, Frederick · Online Etymology Dictionary, Friedrich
Famous namesakes
- Frederick the Great, king of Prussia
Popularity abroad
- #435 United States, boys 2025 (down 13 from 422 in 2024)
US Social Security Administration - #52 England and Wales, boys 2025
Office for National Statistics
Official birth registrations. India publishes no national name statistics.
Spellings
Frederick · Frederic · Fredrick · Friedrich