Wilfred is a name of Germanic origin, derived from the Old Germanic words "wil" meaning "will," "desire," or "resolute," and "frithu" meaning "peace." Therefore, Wilfred translates to "resolute peace." The name gained popularity in England during the Middle Ages after being introduced by the Normans who invaded Britain in 1066. One of the most notable historical figures named Wilfred was Saint Wilfred (c. 634 – c. 709), an Anglo-Saxon bishop and saint who played a significant role in converting the inhabitants of Northumbria to Christianity during the late 7th century. Throughout history, Wilfred has been used as a given name for boys, often associated with individuals of strength, determination, and peaceful nature.
Based on the statistical data provided, we can observe the trends and fluctuations of the number of births with the name Wilfred in the United States from 1880 to 2023.
From 1880 to 1911, the number of births with the name Wilfred remained relatively low, ranging from 21 to 168 births per year. However, there was a significant increase starting in 1912, reaching a peak in 1916 with 723 births. This trend continued until 1925, with the number of births fluctuating between 641 and 779 annually.
The popularity of the name Wilfred began to decline after 1925, with the number of annual births falling below 500 in 1930. This downward trend persisted until the late 1960s, with fewer than 200 births per year between 1964 and 1972.
Since the 1970s, the name Wilfred has been used less frequently, with fewer than 100 births annually. The lowest point was reached in 2009 with only 21 births. However, there has been a slight increase since then, with 39 births reported in 2021 and 28 births in both 2022 and 2023.
In total, over the period from 1880 to 2023, there were 29,367 births with the name Wilfred in the United States. Although the popularity of this name has varied significantly over time, it remains a part of American naming history and culture.