Edward

Edward - A very unique male name

Edward appeared on the charts for the first time in 1910 on position #9. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Edward and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Edward? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Edward. The baby boy name Edward was given to 1,571 baby boys in 2025, ranking #225 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 933 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Edward peaked in popularity 114 years ago in 1912 on position 8.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Edward, 1-5?

Edward is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Edward is currently topping the baby name charts in District of Columbia at position #78 - and is the least popular in Utah at position #445.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Edward is where you live.

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Edward origin and meaning

Old English

"Prosperous guardian" — from ead, "wealth, fortune," and weard, "guardian"

Edward is one of the few Old English names that survived the Norman Conquest intact, carried by kings including Edward the Confessor. It peaked in America in 1924 and has declined slowly ever since, remaining a formal classic with a crowd of nicknames.

Attested etymology

Edward is a 6 letter name with 2 syllables.

To see famous people named Edward, pop culture references for the name Edward and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Edward

We've found the following names that sound similar to Edward, sorted by popularity.

Eduardo / Edwardo / Eduard / Ethridge / Edouard / Etheridge / Edurdo / Eduardoluis / Edwardjames / Edoardo /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Edward

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Edward a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Edward?

2 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

ED-wurd · /ˈɛdwərd/

Around the world

• Édouard (French) — French form of the name
• Eduardo (Spanish) — Spanish and Portuguese form
• Edoardo (Italian) — Italian form
• Eduard (German) — German form of the name

Spellings and nicknames

• Eduard — The German spelling, also used in America

Nicknames: EdEddieNedTed

Famous bearers

• Edward VII — King of the United Kingdom, eldest son of Queen Victoria (1841–1910) Historical
• Edward Norton — Actor known for Primal Fear, American History X, and Fight Club (b. 1969) Contemporary
• Edward Snowden — Former intelligence contractor who disclosed NSA surveillance programs in 2013 (b. 1983) Contemporary

Style

ClassicRoyal

Why parents choose it

Parents choose Edward for its formality and kingly history, usually planning to use Ed, Eddie, or Ned day to day.

Worth knowing

• Edward on its own can feel stiff to modern ears; the nickname does most of the work.
• It has been falling for decades, so it reads as a grandfather-generation name to some.