Fred

Meaning

Fred is a short form associated with older Germanic names built on elements meaning “peace” and “ruler.” In the provided excerpt, it is glossed as “peace ruler,” and the same source connects the peace element to Teutonic forms like frith/fred. As a modern given name, it is usually understood as carrying the sense of peaceful power or protection.

Origin

Fun fact

The same source that glosses Fred as “peace ruler” also ties the peace element to the old word frith, which is related to the idea of peace or friendship.