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Wilfred

Boy name · 41 babies recorded · 1974–2025

Wilfred: 41 babies born in Scotland since 1974, given to boys, peaking at 10 births in 2023.

Wilfred is an Old English name formed from *wil* ("will, desire") and *friþ* ("peace"), meaning "desiring peace." It arrived in Scotland via Anglo-Saxon influence and was popularised by the 7th-century Saint Wilfrid, a Northumbrian bishop who championed Roman church practices. The name’s most famous bearer is Wilfred Owen, the World War I poet whose harrowing verses like "Dulce et Decorum Est" remain searing indictments of conflict. In fiction, Wilfred of Ivanhoe is a chivalric hero in Sir Walter Scott’s novel. The name also appears in the Canadian town of Wilfred, Ontario, named after a local postmaster. A notable variant is Wilfrid, the spelling used by the saint and by the composer Wilfrid Mellers.