Edward is an Old English name from ead and weard that means "wealthy guardian" or "rich guard". Eight kings of England have borne it, from Edward the Confessor on, and in America it belonged to Edward Hopper and Senator Edward Kennedy. Edward ranked number 108 among US boys' names in 2000 and stayed in the top 200 until the early 2020s; it stands at number 224 in 2025, while Eddie and Ted keep the short forms alive.