Name
Frederick
Meaning
Frederick is a masculine name of Germanic origin meaning “peaceful ruler”.
Frederick joins the Germanic frid, peace, with ric, ruler or power, a combination that suited Holy Roman Emperors and Prussian kings alike. In America its greatest bearer is Frederick Douglass, who chose the name himself after escaping slavery.
A US top-100 fixture for a century until the 1950s; climbing again in England.
Popularity in the United States
Boys
Ranked #435 in 2025 · peak #161 in 1980
Data: US Social Security Administration, top-1000 ranks.
At a glance
- Origin
- Germanic
- Gender
- Masculine
- Pronounced
- /FRED-rik/
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Questions
Frederick is a masculine name of Germanic origin meaning “peaceful ruler”. Frederick joins the Germanic frid, peace, with ric, ruler or power, a combination that suited Holy Roman Emperors and Prussian kings alike.
Frederick is traditionally a masculine (boy) name. It is a US top-100 fixture for a century until the 1950s; climbing again in England.
The name Frederick comes from Germanic. Frederick joins the Germanic frid, peace, with ric, ruler or power, a combination that suited Holy Roman Emperors and Prussian kings alike. In America its greatest bearer is Frederick Douglass, who chose the name himself after escaping slavery.
Frederick is pronounced FRED-rik.
More names that mean royalty
Names that share this meaning.