Wilfred
WIL-fred
A Germanic name associated with peace, often glossed as “resolute peace.”
Meaning
The name is commonly explained in old name books as meaning “resolute peace” or “much peace.” The excerpts also connect it with an Old German form, Willifrid, and suggest a sense closer to “powerful protector” or a peace-keeping guardian.
Origin
Old EnglishOld Germanicmasculine
Fun fact
One excerpt notes that the Saxon Wilfred later adopted the name Bonifacius when he went to convert continental Christians.
Confidence: mixed. Sources: History of Christian Names, Praenomina; or, the etymology of the principal Christian names of Great Britain and Ireland.