Ted
Ted is a masculine given name, It is usually a diminutive form (hypocorism) for Edward, Edwin, Edgar, Edmund, Theodore, among other names. Alternatives of Ted are Ned, Teddy, and Ed.
Meaning & Origin of Ted
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Ted is a masculine given name, It is usually a diminutive form (hypocorism) for Edward, Edwin, Edgar, Edmund, Theodore, among other names. Alternatives of Ted are Ned, Teddy, and Ed.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Ted
Ted first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1880, with 13 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1958, when 1,743 Teds were born — ranking #173 that year. As of 2026, Ted ranks #2,806 for baby boys with 46 births, gradually falling (-6%). In total, more than 75K Teds 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 Ted
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- Ted Cruz (born 1970), Canadian-born American politician
- Ted Danson (born 1947), American actor
- Ted Ginn Jr. (born 1985), Former American NFL player
- Ted Ginn Sr. (born 1955), American football coach and father of Ted Ginn Jr.
- Ted Hurst (born 2004), American football player
- Ted Jolliffe (1909–1998), Chinese-born Canadian politician
- Ted Kennedy (1932-2009), American lawyer and politician
- Ted Koppel (born 1940), British-American television journalist
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Names that sound like Ted
Phonetically similar names — useful when Ted is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Ted
What does the name Ted mean?
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When was Ted most popular?
In which U.S. states is Ted most popular?
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About the name Ted
Ted is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 75K births in the dataset. Ted's peak popularity came in 1958 when it ranked #144. Use the chart and map above to compare Ted's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1958 →
- Names of the 1950s →
- Names starting with "T" →
- 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.