Ed
Ed is a masculine given name, usually a short form (hypocorism) of Edward, Edgar, Edmund, Edwin, Edith, etc. It may refer to:
Meaning & Origin of Ed
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Ed is a masculine given name, usually a short form (hypocorism) of Edward, Edgar, Edmund, Edwin, Edith, etc. It may refer to:
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Ed
Ed first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1880, with 310 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1959, when 696 Eds were born — ranking #297 that year. As of 2026, Ed ranks #8,287 for baby boys with 9 births, with steady use. In total, more than 26K Eds have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Notable people named Ed
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- Ed Ames (1927–2023), American singer
- Ed Asner (1929–2021), American actor
- Ed Balls (born 1967), British politician
- Ed Becker , Las Vegas promoter, businessman, private investigator and author
- Ed Begley (1901–1970), American actor
- Ed Begley Jr. (born 1949), American actor and environmentalist
- Ed Bruce (1939–2021), American country music songwriter-singer
- Ed Buck (born 1954), American Democrat political activist and fundraiser
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Names that sound like Ed
Phonetically similar names — useful when Ed is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
- Edd
- Aed
- Aaid
- Ehd
- Edde
- Edh
- Id
- Et
- Ette
- Ocd
- Aet
- Ebt
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Ed
What does the name Ed mean?
How popular is Ed in 2026?
When was Ed most popular?
In which U.S. states is Ed most popular?
Is Ed a unisex name?
What names go well with Ed?
About the name Ed
Ed is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 26K births in the dataset. Ed's peak popularity came in 1959 when it ranked #297. Use the chart and map above to compare Ed's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1959 →
- Names of the 1950s →
- Names starting with "E" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.