Mildred comes from the Old English Mildthryth, from milde, gentle, and thryth, strength, and so means "gentle strength". Saint Mildred was a 7th-century abbess in Kent, and the name was a top 10 choice in the United States in the 1910s before falling out of fashion for most of the century. Mildred ranked number 2046 in 2000, reached number 1841 in 2023 and stands at number 1973 in 2025, kept alive by the vintage revival and the nickname Millie.