Fidel comes from the Latin fidelis and means "faithful" or "loyal"; it was borne by several early saints and has long been used in Spain and Latin America. In the modern world it is inseparable from Cuban leader Fidel Castro, which has made some parents hesitate and others embrace it. In the United States Fidel ranked number 886 in 2000, peaked at number 833 in 2001 and has fallen to number 1875 in 2025, with 84 births.