Walfrid
Masculine name derived from Old Norse meaning "wanderer" or "traveler".
Name Census estimates that about 0 living Americans carry the first name Walfrid. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Walfrid today is around 0 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Walfrid births was 1920 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Walfrid. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Walfrid. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
0
~ - Americans
Peak year
1920
5 babies that year
Average age
-
1920 SSA rank
#4,954
Tracked since 1920
Popularity
Walfrid: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Walfrid by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Walfrid during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1920s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Walfrid
The name Walfrid has its origins in the Germanic languages, derived from the Old Norse elements "valr" meaning "slain warrior" and "friðr" meaning "peace" or "beauty." It emerged during the Viking Age, spanning from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries.
This name was particularly prevalent among the Norse peoples who inhabited Scandinavia, including present-day Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. It is believed to have been used as a way to honor fallen warriors while also expressing a desire for peace and beauty.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Walfrid can be found in the Icelandic Sagas, a collection of historical narratives that document the lives and adventures of notable figures from the Viking era. These sagas, written in the 13th and 14th centuries, provide insights into the cultural significance of names during that period.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Walfrid. One such figure was Walfrid (c. 950-1010), an English Benedictine monk and hagiographer who wrote the Life of St. Dunstan, an influential work that shed light on the religious and political landscape of 10th-century England.
Another prominent figure was Walfrid Strabo (c. 808-849), a Benedictine monk and scholar from the Monastery of Reichenau in present-day Germany. He was widely regarded as one of the most learned men of his time and made significant contributions to the fields of theology, astronomy, and poetry.
In the realm of literature, Walfrid was the name of a character in the epic poem "Beowulf," one of the most influential works of Old English literature. This character, described as a skilled warrior, served as a reminder of the valor and bravery that were highly esteemed within the Norse culture.
Another noteworthy figure was Walfrid (c. 1050-1118), a Benedictine monk and author from the Abbey of St. Albans in England. He wrote several works on the history of the abbey and its surrounding region, providing valuable insights into the religious and cultural landscape of the time.
In the field of art, Walfrid Charpentier (1875-1959) was a renowned French painter and engraver known for his intricate etchings and engravings depicting rural landscapes and scenes from everyday life in Normandy.
These are just a few examples of the many individuals throughout history who have borne the name Walfrid, each contributing to various fields and leaving their mark on the cultural and historical fabric of their respective eras.
People
Walfrid + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Walfrid as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with W
Other first names starting with W with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Walfrid: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Walfrid?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 0 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Walfrid going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about - US residents.
Is Walfrid a common name?
We classify Walfrid as "Very Rare". It ranks above 2.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Walfrid most popular?
The single biggest year for Walfrid was 1920, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Walfrid is about 0 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Walfrid in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Walfrid a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Walfrid in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Walfrid still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Walfrid in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Walfrid can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have the name Walfrid?
See how many people have the name Walfrid on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.