Ned
Ned is an English given name and variant of Ed, sometimes short for Edward, Edmund, Edgar, or Edwin.
Meaning & Origin of Ned
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Ned is an English given name and variant of Ed, sometimes short for Edward, Edmund, Edgar, or Edwin.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Ned
Ned first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1880, with 33 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1939, when 319 Neds were born — ranking #312 that year. As of 2026, Ned ranks #7,169 for baby boys with 10 births, gradually falling (-10%). In total, more than 17K Neds have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Ned
Phonetically similar names — useful when Ned is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
- Nedd
- Nid
- Nud
- Nudd
- Naed
- Nyd
- Nidd
- Need
- Net
- Nod
- Knead
- Nad
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Ned
What does the name Ned mean?
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In which U.S. states is Ned most popular?
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About the name Ned
Ned is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 17K births in the dataset. Ned's peak popularity came in 1939 when it ranked #237. Use the chart and map above to compare Ned's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1939 →
- Names of the 1930s →
- Names starting with "N" →
- 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.