Fun Facts About the Name Baldwin
- 634 babies named Baldwin: U.S. records list 634 babies given the name Baldwin from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Baldwin Mean?
Baldwin is a masculine given name of Germanic origin. It comes from the ancient Germanic elements *bald, meaning "bold" or "brave," and *win, meaning "friend." The literal sense is therefore "bold friend" or "brave friend." The first element is not related to the modern English word bald meaning "without hair"; the two words look alike but have different histories.
The name reached English through Old French Baudouin, which developed from the Frankish form behind Latin Balduinus. The same Germanic name produced cognates in several western European languages, including French Baudouin, Dutch Boudewijn, and Italian Baldovino.
Baldwin Name History & Origins
The name is Frankish in origin, formed from the Germanic elements for "bold" and "friend." It appears in medieval Latin records as Balduinus and in Old French as Baudouin. The Norman form Baudouin was brought to England after the Norman Conquest of 1066, where it was used alongside native Old English names. In medieval England it remained a recognizable but not especially common name.
Baldwin was borne by several notable medieval rulers and churchmen. Baldwin of Boulogne became Baldwin I, King of Jerusalem, ruling from 1100 to 1118. Baldwin IV was King of Jerusalem from 1174 to 1185. Baldwin of Forde served as Archbishop of Canterbury from 1184 to 1190. These uses belong to the documented history of the name, not to a single literary invention. The name also passed into surnames, especially in England and Flanders, and it continues to be used as a given name in English-speaking countries.
How Popular is the Name Baldwin?
Baldwin recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 1965. Its best rank was #922 in 1880.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | #10,979 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 2022 | #9,069 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2021 | #7,657 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2020 | #10,751 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2019 | #7,230 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2018 | #8,235 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2017 | #7,623 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2016 | #10,894 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2015 | #10,820 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2011 | #8,841 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2010 | #8,891 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2009 | #7,272 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2008 | #11,209 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2005 | #7,168 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2004 | #8,210 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2003 | #8,745 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2002 | #7,716 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2001 | #8,423 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2000 | #6,899 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1999 | #7,947 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1998 | #5,501 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1997 | #7,357 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1996 | #6,030 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1995 | #6,462 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1994 | #5,134 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1993 | #8,817 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1992 | #4,591 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1991 | #6,577 | 7 | 0.0003% |
| 1990 | #4,434 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1989 | #5,679 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1987 | #7,050 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1986 | #4,888 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1984 | #5,628 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1981 | #5,548 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1980 | #3,866 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1979 | #5,415 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1974 | #4,225 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1971 | #4,975 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1968 | #3,395 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1967 | #3,254 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1965 | #2,278 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1964 | #3,307 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1963 | #3,339 | 7 | 0.0003% |
| 1962 | #2,859 | 9 | 0.0004% |
| 1961 | #3,680 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1960 | #3,105 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1959 | #3,053 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1958 | #2,379 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1957 | #3,038 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1955 | #3,218 | 7 | 0.0003% |
| 1953 | #3,846 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1951 | #3,388 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1950 | #3,724 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1946 | #2,153 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1944 | #3,462 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1939 | #2,849 | 7 | 0.0006% |
| 1936 | #3,579 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1934 | #3,712 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1933 | #3,029 | 7 | 0.0007% |
| 1932 | #3,111 | 7 | 0.0007% |
| 1931 | #2,670 | 9 | 0.0009% |
| 1929 | #2,608 | 10 | 0.0009% |
| 1928 | #3,381 | 7 | 0.0006% |
| 1927 | #3,172 | 8 | 0.0007% |
| 1926 | #2,738 | 10 | 0.0009% |
| 1925 | #3,174 | 8 | 0.0007% |
| 1924 | #3,044 | 9 | 0.0008% |
| 1923 | #2,632 | 11 | 0.0010% |
| 1922 | #4,357 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1921 | #3,235 | 8 | 0.0007% |
| 1920 | #2,784 | 10 | 0.0009% |
| 1919 | #2,897 | 9 | 0.0009% |
| 1918 | #2,557 | 11 | 0.0011% |
| 1917 | #2,566 | 10 | 0.0011% |
| 1916 | #2,946 | 8 | 0.0009% |
| 1915 | #2,644 | 9 | 0.0011% |
| 1914 | #2,115 | 10 | 0.0015% |
| 1913 | #1,814 | 10 | 0.0020% |
| 1880 | #922 | 5 | 0.0045% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
Most Popular Boy Names That Start with B
How the Name Baldwin Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You can go to great heights and equally great depths. You are emotional and fixed in your opinions. You are hospitable, sentimental, often psychic, sometimes moody. You are ruled by love and the lack of it and feel a need to be encouraged and appreciated. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
You are always looking for an opportunity to achieve financial and emotional security. You are basically peacemaker. You understand the law of harmony and desire to balance your life with those around you. You may feel incomplete without someone to share your love, ideals, wealth or work. You can be very sensitive and could appear a bit shy and perceptive. You have developed intuition, patience and the ability to nurture others. You can achieve the state of happiness if you are willing to accept your needs in a complimentary relationship and go to create them.
✦ Baldwin's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Baldwin's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.