Frederick

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Frederick

Gender: Masculine
Language: English
Etymology:
Frederick is the modern English of an Old Germanic name, Frithuric. Originally it meant “Peaceful Ruler” from “fried” (peace) and “rick” (power, ruler).

History:
Although the Anglo-Saxons had their own form of the name, Freodheric, it was rare. The Normans carried it with them when they invaded in 1066, but it died out soon after. Frederick, did, however, remain popular in Continental Europe, especially among the German princes. The name was reintroduced to England when the German royal family of Hanover gained the English throne in 1714.

Fredrik, the Swedish form, first appeared in the 14th century, but did not become common until the 18th.

Pronunciation: FRED-er-ick.

Diminutives: Fred, Freddie, Freddy, Rick, Rickie, Ricky.
Czech: Béda.
Danish: Fritz.
Finnish: Rieti.
French (Middle): Ferry, Frery.
Frisian: Fedde, Feck, Fick, Vick.
German: Fritz.

Alternates: Frederic, Fredric, Fredrick.
Czech: Bedrich, Bedrisek.
Danish: Frederik.
Dutch: Frerik, Freek.
English (Old): Freodheric.
French: Frédéric.
Finnish: Fredrik.
Frisian: Freddercke.
German: Friedrich.
Hawaiian: Peleke.
Hungarian: Fredek, Frigyes.
Italian: Federigo.
Latin: Fredericus.
Polish: Friderich, Fryderyk, Frydrych, Frydryk.
Scandinavian: Frederik.
Spanish: Federico.
Swedish: Fredrik.

Surnames:
Frisian: Vick.
German: Frick.
Polish: Frick.

See also: Fred, Freddie (Freddy), Fredrick.

Famous Bearers:
Artists and Authors:
Friedrich Rudolf, Freiherr von Canitz (1654-1699)
German poet.
Friedrich Wilhelm Marpurg (1718-1795)
German composer.
Friedrich Müller (1749-1825)
German poet.
Frédéric Kalkbrenner (1785-1849)
French composer.
Frederick William II (1792-1848)
English author.
Frederik Paludan-Müller (1809-1876)
Danish poet.
Fritz Reiter (1810-1874)
German novelist.
Frédéric Chopin (Fryderyk Franciszek Szopen) (1810-1849)
Polish-French composer.
Bedrich Smetana (1824-1884)
Bohemian composer.
Frederic Edwin Church (1826-1900)
American painter.
Frederic Leighton (1830-1896)
English painter.
Frédéric Mistral (1830-1914)
French poet.
Frederic William Farrar (1831-1903)
English writer.
Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi (1834-1904)
French sculptor. Designed the Statue of Liberty.
Fritz Mauthner (1849-1923)
German author.
Sir Frederic Hyman Cowen (1852-1935)
British composer.
Frederick Henry Evans (1853-1943)
British photographer.
Frederic Eugene Ives (1856-1937)
American photographer.
Frederick William Rolfe (1860-1913)
English author.
Frederic Remington (1861-1909)
American painter.
Frederick Delius (1862-1934)
English composer.
Frederick Philip Grove (1871-1948)
Canadian novelist.
Frederick Shepherd Converse (1871-1940)
American composer.
Frederick John Niven (1878-1844)
Canadian novelist.
Frederick Leonard Lonsdale (Lionel Frederick Leonard) (1881-1954)
British playwright.
Fritz von Unruh (1885-1970)
German poet.
Fritz Reiner (1888-1963)
Hungarian-American conductor.
Frederick John Kiesler (1892-1965)
Austrian-American architect.
Frederick Loewe (1904-1988)
American composer.
Fritz Wotruba (1907-1975)
Austrian sculptor.
Frederic Prokosch (1908-1989)
American writer.
Fritz Leiber (1910-1992)
American writer.
Frederik Pohl (1919-)
American writer.
Frederick Forsyth (1938-)
British writer.
Frederick Barthelme (1943-)
American writer.

Educators, Scholars, and Social Workers:
Friedrich Karl Forberg (1770-1848)
German philosopher.
Frédéric-Auguste Demetz (1796-1873)
French legal reformer.
Frédéric Bastiat (1801-1850)
French economist.
Frederick Barnard (1809-1889)
American educator. President of Columbia College.
Frederick Maning (1811-1883)
New Zealand historian.
Frederick William Faber (1814-1963)
British theologian.
Frederick Douglass (1817-1895)
American human rights leader.
Frédéric Passy (1822-1912)
French economist.
Friedrich Wilhelm Dörpfeld (1824-1893)
German educator.
Frederick James Furnivall (1825-1910)
English literary scholar.
Frederic David Mocatta (1828-1905)
British philanthropist.
Fredrik Bajer (1837-1922)
Danish winner of the 1908 Nobel Peace Prize.
Frederic Ward Putnam (1839-1915)
American anthropologist.
Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900)
German philosopher.
Sir Frederick Pollock (1845-1937)
English legal scholar.
Frédéric Masson (1847-1923)
French historian.
Frederic William Maitland (1850-1906)
English legal historian.
Frederick T. Gates (1853-1929)
American philanthropist.
Frederick William Sanderson (1857-1922)
British educator.
Frederik Willem Eeden (1860-1932)
Dutch philosopher.
Frederick Gilmer Bonfils (1860-1933)
American publisher.
Frederick Jackson Turner (1861-1932)
American historian.
Bedrich Hrozn (1879-1952)
Czech archaeologist.
Frederick A. Pottle (1897-1987)
American scholar.
Friedrich von Hayek (1899-1992)
Austrian-British economist. Co-winner of the 1974 Nobel Prize for Economics.
Frederick Douglass Patterson (1901-1988)
American educator.
Fritz Fischer (1908-1999)
German historian.
Frederick C. Crews (1933-)
American literary critic.
Frederick Busch (1941-)
American critic.

Miscellaneous:
Frederik Houtman (1571-1627)
Dutch explorer of the East Indies.
Frederick William, Freiherr von Steuben (1730-1794)
German officer who served the American side during the Revolutionary War.
Friedrich Bayer (1825-1880)
Founder of Bayer AG.
Frederick Courteney Selous (1851-1917)
English explorer of Rhodesia.
Frederick Archer (1857-1886)
British jockey.
Frederic W. Goudy (1865-1947)
American designer of fonts.
Frederick Albert Cook (1885-1940)
American explorer of Antarctica.
Frederick William Winterbotham (1897-1990)
British code-breaker of WWII.
Frederick John Perry (1909-1995)
British tennis player.

Political Figures:
Sir Frederick Haldimand (1718-1791)
British governor of Quebec.
Fredrik Axel von Fersen (1719-1794)
Swedish politician.
Frederick North, Lord North (1732-1792)
Prime Minister of Great Britain.
Frédéric-César de La Harpe (1754-1838)
Swiss politician.
Frederick John Robinson, Earl of Ripon (1782-1859)
British Prime Minister.
Frederik Stang (1808-1884)
Norwegian politician.
Frédéric-Alfred-Pierre, Comte de Falloux (1811-1886)
French politician.
Sir Frederick Whitaker (1812-1891)
Prime Minister of New Zealand.
Frederick Theodore Frelinghuysen (1817-1885)
American senator.
Sir Frederick Aloysius Weld (1823-1891)
Prime Minister of New Zealand.
Lord Frederick Charles Cavendish (1836-1882)
British statesman. Murdered by Irish nationalist.
Sir Frederick William Borden (1847-1917)
Canadian statesman.
Frederick Pethick-Lawrence (1871-1961)
British politician.
Fritz Sauckel (1894-1946)
Nazi politician.

Religious Figures:
Frederick Temple (1821-1902)
Archbishop of Canterbury.

Royalty:
Frederick I (1123-1190)
Holy Roman Emperor and Duke of Swabia. Called Frederick Barbarossa.
Frederick II (1194-1250)
King of Sicily, Duke of Swabia, and Holy Roman Emperor.
Frederick III (1272-1337)
King of Sicily.
Frederick III (1286-1330)
German king and Duke of Austria. Called Frederick the Fair (Friedrich der Schöne).
Frederick I (1370-1428)
Elector of Saxony. Called Frederick the Warlike (Friedrich der Streitbare).
Frederick I (1371-1440)
Elector of Brandenberg.
Frederick II (1411-1464)
Elector of Saxony. Called Frederick the Gentle (Friedrich der Sanftmütige).
Frederick III (1415-1493)
Holy Roman Emperor.
Frederick III (1463-1525)
Elector of Saxony. Called Frederick the Wise (Friedrich der Weise).
Frederick I (1471-1533)
King of Denmark and Norway.
Frederick III (1515-1576)
Palantine of the Rhine. Called Frederick the Pious (Friedrich der Fromme).
Frederick II (1534-1588)
King of Denmark and Norway.
Frederick IV (1574-1610)
Palatine of the Rhine. Called Frederick the Righteous (Friedrich der Aufrichtige).
Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange (1584-1647)
Also Count of Nassau.
Frederick V (1596-1632)
Palantine of the Rhine and King of Bohemia.
Frederick III (1609-1670)
King of Denmark and Norway.
Frederick William (1620-1688)
Elector of Brandenburg.
Frederick I (1657-1713)
Elector of Brandenburg and first king of Prussia.
Frederick IV (1671-1730)
King of Denmark and Norway.
Frederick I (1676-1751)
Swedish king.
Frederick William I (1688-1740)
King of Prussia.
Frederick Louis, Prince of Wales (1707-1751)
Son of King George II of Great Britain, father of King George III.
Frederick II (1712-1768)
King of Prussia. Called Frederick the Great (Friedrich der Grosse).
Frederick V (1723-1766)
King of Denmark and Norway.
Frederick William II (1744-1797)
King of Prussia.
Frederick Augustus I (1750-1827)
King of Saxony and Duke of Warsaw. Ally of Napoleon.
Frederick VI (1768-1839)
King of Denmark.
Frederick William III (1770-1840)
King of Prussia.
Frederick William IV (1795-1861)
King of Prussia.
Frederick Augustus II (1797-1854)
King of Saxony. Initiated reform.
Frederick William (1802-1875)
Elector of Hesse-Kassel.
Frederick VII (1808-1863)
King of Denmark.
Frederick Charles, Prince of Prussia (1828-1885)
Prussian military official. Called the Iron Prince.
Frederick III (1831-1888)
Emperor of Germany for ninety-nine days. A moderate man who died of throat cancer.
Frederick VII (1843-1912)
King of Denmark.
Frederick IX (1899-1972)
King of Denmark.

Scientists:
Friedrich Wilhelm August Argelander (1799-1875)
German astronomer.
Frederick Scott Archer (1813-1857)
English inventor.
Friedrich Theodor von Frerichs (1819-1885)
German pathologist.
Friedrich von Esmarch (1823-1908)
German physician.
Sir Frederick Augustus Abel (1827-1902)
English chemist.
Friedrich Wilhelm Georg Kohlrausch (1840-1910)
German physicist.
Friedrich August Johannes Löffler (1852-1915)
German bacteriologist.
Frederick Orpen Bower (1855-1948)
English botanist.
Frederick W. Taylor (1856-1915)
American inventor.
Sir Frederick Gowland Hopkins (1861-1947)
British biochemist. Co-winner of the 1929 Nobel Prize for Chemistry.
Frederic Stanley Kipping (1863-1949)
British chemist.
Fritz Haber (1868-1934)
German physical chemist. Winner of the 1918 Nobel Prize for Chemistry.
Fritz Pregl (1869-1930)
Austrian chemist. Winner of the 1923 Nobel Prize for Chemistry.
Frederick George Donnan (1870-1956)
British chemist.
Fritz Schaudinn (1871-1906)
German zoologist.
Fredrik Størmer (1874-1957)
Norwegian geophysicist and mathematician.
Frederick Mark Becket (1875-1942)
American metallurgist.
Frederick Gardner Cottrell (1877-1948)
American scientist.
Frederick Soddy (1877-1956)
English chemist. Winner of the 1921 Nobel Prize for Chemistry.
Sir Frederic C. Bartlett (1886-1969)
British psychologist.
Sir Frederick Grant Banting (1891-1941)
Canadian physician and researcher. Co-winner of the 1923 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine.
Fritz Zwicky (1898-1974)
Swiss astronomer.
Fritz Albert Lipmann (1899-1986)
German-American biochemist. Co-winner of the 1953 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine.
Frederick Emmons Terman (1900-1982)
American electrical engineer.
Fritz Wolfgang London (1900-1954)
German-American physicist.
Fritz Strassmann (1902-1980)
German chemist.
Frederic Williams (1911-1977)
British electrical engineer.
Frederick Chapman Robbins (1916-)
American pediatrician. Co-winner of the 1954 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine.
Frederick Reines (1918-1998)
American physicist. Winner of the 1995 Nobel Prize for Physics.
Frederick Sanger (1918-)
English biochemist. Winner of the 1958 and co-winner of the 1980 Nobel Prizes for Chemistry.

Singers and Entertainers:
Fritz Lang (1890-1976)
Austrian-American filmmaker.
Fritz Kortner (1892-1970)
American actor.
Fredric March (1897-1975)
American actor.
Fred Astaire (Frederick Austerlitz) (1899-1987)
American dancer and actor.
Frederick A. Young (1902-1998)
British cinematographer.
Frederick Wiseman (1930-)
American filmmaker.

Popularity:
Percentage from the 1990 U.S. Census:
0.251 % named Fred
0.154 % named Frederick
0.046 % named Freddie
0.043 % named Fredrick
0.016 % named Freddy
0.010 % named Federico
0.009 % named Frederic
0.005 % named Fredric
0.006 % named Fritz

Popularity of Frederick:
Popularity (for newborns):
In the United States...
1800: 50th most popular.
1850: 33rd most popular.
1875: 24th most popular.
1900-1910: 62nd most popular.
1910-1920: 56th most popular.
1920-1930: 62nd most popular.
1930-1940: 70th most popular.
1940-1950: 74th most popular.
1950-1960: 88th most popular.
1960-1970: 115th most popular.
1970-1980: 137th most popular.
1980-1990: 201st most popular.
1990: 258th most popular.
1991: 252nd most popular.
1992: 278th most popular.
1993: 293rd most popular.
1994: 303rd most popular.
1995: 316th most popular.
1996: 331st most popular.
1997: 360th most popular.
1998: 354th most popular.
1999: 382nd most popular.
2000: 401st most popular.
2001: 409th most popular.
2002: 420th most popular.
2003: 430th most popular.

Popularity of Federico:
Popularity (for newborns):
In the United States...
1900-1910: N/A
1910-1920: 909th most popular.
1920-1930: 821st most popular.
1930-1940: 735th most popular.
1940-1950: 631st most popular.
1950-1960: 726th most popular.
1960-1970: 678th most popular.
1970-1980: 777th most popular.
1980-1990: 910th most popular.
1990: 853rd most popular.
1991: 812th most popular.
1992: 913th most popular.
1993: 927th most popular.
1994: 942nd most popular.
1995: 944th most popular.
1996: N/A

Popularity of Frederic:
Popularity (for newborns):
In the United States...
1900-1910: 539th most popular.
1910-1920: 478th most popular.
1920-1930: 532nd most popular.
1930-1940: 492nd most popular.
1940-1950: 469th most popular.
1950-1960: 488th most popular.
1960-1970: 725th most popular.
1970-1980: 846th most popular.
1980-2000: N/A

In France...
1900: 31st most popular.
1910: 44th most popular.
1920: 75th most popular.
1930: 105th most popular.
1940: 109th most popular.
1950: 84th most popular.
1960: 30th most popular.
1970: 6th most popular.
1980: 8th most popular.
1990: 55th most popular.
1999: 172nd most popular.
2000: N/A

Popularity of Fredric:
Popularity (for newborns):
In the United States...
1900-1910: N/A
1910-1920: 973rd most popular.
1920-1930: 846th most popular.
1930-1940: 559th most popular.
1940-1950: 511th most popular.
1950-1960: 612th most popular.
1960-1970: 878th most popular.
1970-2000: N/A

Popularity of Fritz:
Popularity (for newborns):
In the United States...
1900-1910: 390th most popular.
1910-1920: 669th most popular.
1920-1930: 747th most popular.
1930-1940: 735th most popular.
1940-1950: 905th most popular.
1950-1960: 988th most popular.
1960-1970: 866th most popular.
1970-2000: N/A