A 1890s favorite, climbing again.
Popularity of Frieda since 1880
Babies named Frieda per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 1916, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Frieda's real moment was 1896.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 863 |
| 1890s | 2,780 |
| 1900s | 2,897 |
| 1910s | 6,190 |
| 1920s | 4,917 |
| 1930s | 2,375 |
| 1940s | 1,752 |
| 1950s | 1,428 |
| 1960s | 717 |
| 1970s | 314 |
| 1980s | 254 |
| 1990s | 216 |
| 2000s | 240 |
| 2010s | 345 |
| 2020s | 218 |
Meaning & origin
Frieda is a classic German name meaning 'peace' that saw its peak popularity in the U.S. in 1896, when it was a top choice for parents, particularly in New York. After a long decline, the name has been slowly rising again since 1992, part of a broader revival of vintage names from the 1890s. Today it remains quite rare, ranking 3975th in 2025 with only about 1 in 44,646 babies given the name, appealing to parents seeking a sweet, underused name with deep roots.
Frieda is a German feminine name derived from the Old High German word "fridu," meaning "peace." It was often used as a short form of names beginning with Fried- or ending in -fried, such as Friederike. The name gained popularity in the English-speaking world in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, bolstered by its use in Royal families and figures like the Austrian-born Queen Friederike of Greece. Its variant Freda is also common.
Where Frieda is most popular
Births per 100,000 girls by state. Press play or drag the slider to watch it move across the decades. The lightest shade means too few recorded births.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Freda, Fritzi, Ria
Sibling names for Frieda
Names that share Frieda's style, for a brother or sister.
Sisters: Elsa, Greta, Ingrid, Hilda, Martha, Alda, Gretel, Ilse, Luise, Marga, Trude, Guelda, Helma, Truda
Brothers: Hans, Otto, Karl, Fritz, Walter, Kurt, Erwin, Wilhelm, Ernst, Klaus, Lorenz, Ludwig, Theodor, Wolfgang, Edel, Gunter, Marzell, Zigmund, Gottlieb, Walfred, Kleber, Kohler, Moritz, Sie, Sigmond, Wetzel
