Meaning & Origin
A male given name from Old English, popular in the U.K. in the early twentieth century.
Wilfred is a boy's and girl's baby name of Old English origin, from the Old English elements wil (will, desire) and frith (peace), meaning 'one who desires peace' or 'wills peace.' It was a popular name in medieval England and experienced a major revival in the 19th century.
Wilfred Owen — the World War I poet who wrote "Dulce et Decorum Est" — gave this name an enduring association with compassion, courage, and the human cost of war. His death one week before Armistice Day in 1918 made Wilfred a name that carries profound historical weight in British cultural memory.