ESC 

Name Rank Total 

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1880

First Year

1972

Last Year

1920

Peak Year

#2765

Peak Rank

74

Total Count

12

Years Active

🌍

## Meaning & Origin of Friend

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures. 

Friend is the given name of:Friend Humphrey (1787–1854), American politician Friend Richardson (1865–1943), American newspaper publisher and politician, 25th governor of California Friend Smith Rutherford (1824–1864), United States Army officer and lawyer

Source: [Wikipedia ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friend%5F%28given%5Fname%29) (CC BY-SA 3.0). [Read more → ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friend%5F%28given%5Fname%29)

📖

## The Story of Friend

Friend first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1880, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1920, when 10 Friends were born — ranking #2,765 that year. As of 2026, Friend ranks #4,986 for baby boys with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 74 Friends have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.

## Popularity Over Time

## Popularity by State

ME

WA

MT

ND

MN

WI

MI

NY

VT

NH

MA

OR

ID

SD

IA

IL

IN

OH

PA

NJ

CT

RI

CA

NV

WY

NE

MO

KY

WV

VA

MD

DE

DC

UT

CO

KS

AR

TN

NC

SC

AK

AZ

NM

OK

LA

MS

AL

GA

HI

TX

FL

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

🎶

## Names that sound like Friend

Phonetically similar names — useful when Friend is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name. 

* Freind
* Frowned
* Frond
* Freund
* Frand
* Freunde
* Fremd
* Fronde
* Front
* Frint
* Fronte
* Friends

Source: [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/). Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated. 

❓

## Frequently Asked Questions about Friend

What does the name Friend mean?

Friend is the given name of:Friend Humphrey (1787–1854), American politician Friend Richardson (1865–1943), American newspaper publisher and politician, 25th governor of California Friend Smith Rutherford (1824–1864), United States Army officer and lawyer

How popular is Friend in 2026?

In 2026, Friend ranks #4,986 among boys' names in the U.S., with 5 babies given the name that year.

When was Friend most popular?

Friend reached its peak popularity in 1920, ranking #2,765 that year with 10 babies given the name.

Is Friend a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Friend is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.

What names go well with Friend?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Friend include Primus, Ott, Ell. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

## Similar Names

[👦PrimusPeak #2765](/primus)[👦OttPeak #2765](/ott)[👦EllPeak #2765](/ell)[👦CurliePeak #2765](/curlie)[👦ArsenePeak #2765](/arsene)[👦ObbiePeak #2765](/obbie)[👦ManvillePeak #2765](/manville)[👦ArnetPeak #2765](/arnet)

## About the name Friend 

Friend is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 74 births in the dataset. Friend's peak popularity came in 1920 when it ranked #2,765\. Use the chart and map above to compare Friend's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

### Continue exploring 

* [ Top names of 1920 → ](/year/1920)
* [ Names of the 1920s → ](/decade/1920s)
* [ Names starting with "F" → ](/letter/f)
* [ Browse all boy names → ](/names/boys)
* [ Top names of 2026 → ](/year/2026)

Data sources

* Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. [Social Security Administration ](https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/). 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 ](https://www.behindthename.com/) (used under their public API terms).
* Meaning prose and editorial summary — [Wikipedia ](https://en.wikipedia.org/) article extracts, licensed under [CC BY-SA 3.0 ](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/).
* Predicted nationality distribution — [Nationalize.io ](https://nationalize.io/).
* Phonetically similar names — [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/).

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.