Meaning & Story
The French form of Frederick, from the Germanic Friederich meaning peaceful ruler — a name carried by Chopin, Nietzsche, and Barbarossa.
Frederic is the Francophone cousin of Frederick, and it carries a certain continental refinement that the English version lacks. It is the name of Chopin composing nocturnes in Mallorca, of the warrior-emperor Frederick Barbarossa, of a man of both intellect and iron. For a dog, it is wonderfully incongruous in the best possible way — the kind of formal name that the dog's actual behavior constantly and gloriously contradicts. Perfect for a large, regal breed whose dignity is always just one squirrel sighting away from complete collapse.