Given name & surname · also Old English
Mildred
“woman of gentle strength”
Mildred is used as a given name and a surname. One English interpretation is “woman of gentle strength.”
Original Old EnglishMildþryþ
Meaning & origin
What it means
One English interpretation is “woman of gentle strength.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Old English.
How it developed
In Cebuano usage, Mildred developed from Mildþryþ.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Mildred through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 452,998
- 1,583 boys · 451,415 girls
- Most popular year
- 1920
- 18,099 babies
- 2025
- 98
- #1,973 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +19%
- Rising
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 98 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 1,973 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 18.9% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 18,060 in 1920. In 2025, Ohio had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (9). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 83,139 as a first name in 2020; 103 as a surname in 2000.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Mildred’s family of names
In English usage, Mildred has a diminutive in Millie. In English usage, Mildred shares a linguistic root with the Norwegian form Mildrid. Mildred has a related form in Milly.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Mildred has relatives in 5 languages. Lines run from its Old English roots to each of them.
Old Englishwhere Mildred comes from · 1 name
Nicknames & forms 15
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 3
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Mildred
- Babe Didrikson ZahariasAmerican golfer and athlete1911–1956
- Mildred HarrisAmerican actress (1901–1944)
- Mildred DresselhausAmerican physicist (1930-2017)
- Mildred NatwickAmerican actress (1905–1994)
- Mildred DunnockAmerican theater, film and television actress (1901-1991)
- Mildred McDanielAmerican high jumper (1933–2004)
- Mildred DavisAmerican actress (1901–1969)
- Mildred CohnAmerican biochemist (1913–2009)
- Mildred BaileyNative American jazz singer1907–1951
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Mildred, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Maxine
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>99% girls
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“one who is lovable”
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Goldie
“gold”
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Winnifred
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>99% girls
Inez
“one who is pure; chaste”
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Winifred
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Mae
Mae is used as a given name and a surname. A separate literal meaning is not established; there is a possible relationship with May. The derivation remains uncertain.
>99% girls