NameCensus.

UK boy's name

Frederic

Masculine name derived from Germanic elements meaning "peaceful ruler".

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Frederic is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Frederic popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #1199, with 23 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2008, with 48 births.

This profile covers 764 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.

The latest count is about 48% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 761 living people in the UK are called Frederic. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Frederic ranked #1199 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 23 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2008, when 48 boys were registered as Frederic.
  • Frederic ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #638 in 2010.
  • About 761 living people in the UK are estimated to have Frederic as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#1199

2024

Births in 2024

23

Latest year

Peak year

2008

48 births

Estimated living

761

2026

Meaning

What does Frederic mean?

The name Frederic has its origins in the Germanic languages and can be traced back to the early medieval period. It is derived from the Old High German name "Fridu-rīc," which is a compound of the words "fridu" meaning "peace" and "rīc" meaning "power" or "ruler." The name essentially means "peaceful ruler" or "one who rules in peace."

The name gained popularity in Europe during the Middle Ages, particularly in areas where Germanic languages were spoken, such as modern-day Germany, France, and England. One of the earliest recorded examples of the name is Frederic I, also known as Frederick Barbarossa, who was a Holy Roman Emperor and reigned from 1155 to 1190.

In the Christian tradition, the name Frederic is associated with several saints, including Saint Frederic of Utrecht, a 9th-century bishop and patron saint of the city of Utrecht in the Netherlands, and Saint Frederic of Regensburg, a 12th-century bishop and patron saint of the city of Regensburg in Germany.

Throughout history, the name Frederic has been borne by numerous notable figures, including:

1. Frederick I (1122-1190), also known as Frederick Barbarossa, was a Holy Roman Emperor and one of the most powerful rulers of medieval Europe. 2. Frederick II (1194-1250), known as Frederick the Great, was a Holy Roman Emperor and one of the most influential figures of the 13th century. 3. Frederick the Wise (1463-1525), was an Elector of Saxony who played a crucial role in the Protestant Reformation and protected Martin Luther. 4. Frederick William I (1688-1740), known as the "Soldier King," was the King of Prussia and is remembered for his military reforms and the establishment of Prussia as a major European power. 5. Frederick the Great (1712-1786), was a King of Prussia and a brilliant military strategist who led Prussia to become a major European power during the Enlightenment era.

These are just a few examples of the many notable historical figures who bore the name Frederic. The name has remained popular throughout the centuries and has been used across various cultures and regions, reflecting its enduring appeal and rich historical significance.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Frederic over time

The chart below shows babies named Frederic registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Frederic, the clearest high point is 2008. The latest England and Wales figure is 23 births in 2024, compared with 48 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Frederic
012243648199620102024

Decades

Frederic by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Frederic was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.

Decade Average rank Total births Years covered
2020s #1241 108 5
2010s #1053 272 10
2000s #794 312 10
1990s #849 72 4

Geography

Where Frederic is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Frederic. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.

Frederic ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #638 in 2010.

Scotland
3

Across the UK

Frederic in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#638 in 2010

1 years of NRS records, 3 total registered

Notable bearers

Famous people named Frederic

  • Frederic Sewell

    cricketer

    cricketer (1913-2000)

    1913-2000

  • Frederic Wilson

    cricketer

    cricketer (1881-1932)

    1881-1932

  • Frederic Wood Jones

    scientist; biologist; university teacher; botanical collector; anthropologist; scientific collector; anatomist; embryologist

    British anthropologist (1879-1954)

    1879-1954

  • Frederic Kitton

    engraver; illustrator

    English illustrator and writer

    1856-1904

  • Frederic Yates

    painter

    English painter (1854–1919)

    1854-1919

  • Frederic Richard Trench-Gascoigne

    British soldier and landowner

    1851-1937

  • Frederic William Maitland

    historian; biographer; barrister; legal historian

    British historian (1850–1906)

    1850-1906

Related

Names similar to Frederic

FAQ

Frederic: questions and answers

How popular is the name Frederic in the UK right now?

In 2024, Frederic was ranked #1199 for boys in England and Wales, with 23 births registered.

When was Frederic most popular?

The peak year on record was 2008, with 48 babies registered as Frederic in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Frederic?

Masculine name derived from Germanic elements meaning "peaceful ruler".

How many people are called Frederic in the UK?

A total of 764 babies have been registered as Frederic across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 3 more in Scotland.

Where is Frederic most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Frederic ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #638 in 2010. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.

Which records is this page based on?

The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.