Fred is the short form of Frederick, from the Germanic elements frid and ric, meaning "peaceful ruler". Dancer Fred Astaire and television host Fred Rogers made it a warm, familiar American name in the 20th century. As an independent name Fred was still in the top 1000 in 2000, peaked in this period at number 875 in 2001 and has drifted down to number 1936 in 2025.