Red

Meaning & origin●(measured from records)

Attested across 14 languages in the etymology graph.

Other names spelled this way◐(inferred from the name graph)

Red is also recorded as 2 other names, grouped separately because the records behind them do not connect to the one described above.

• a separate name2 spellings in the group

  Also written Réd

• Indonesian name11 spellings in the group

  Most recorded in Indonesia, Malaysia

  Languages: Indonesian, Malay

  Also written Řĕď, R̳̿e̳̿d̳̿, Réd, Řëď, Ṟëḋ

69 further groups record this spelling and are not listed here.

Grouping is the name graph's, not a register's: two spellings join a group when the evidence links them, so a group is a claim about the records rather than about the people.

Other recorded senses●(measured from records)

Red is also recorded in 5 other lexicons, as a different name or as an ordinary word. These are senses of the spelling, not of the name above.

• In English, Of a red hue.

  as a word·kaikki.org Wiktionary extract (IPA + transliterations)

• In Turkish, alternative form of ret (“refusal, rejection”)

  as a word·kaikki.org Wiktionary extract (IPA + transliterations)

• In yol, To encounter by chance, to take (shoe)

  as a word·kaikki.org Wiktionary extract (IPA + transliterations)

• In Slovenian, order (arrangement, disposition)

  as a word·kaikki.org Wiktionary extract (IPA + transliterations)

• In enm, counsel, advice, recommendation

  as a word·kaikki.org Wiktionary extract (IPA + transliterations)

Ordered by how much of this spelling's record each language holds, so a sense from a language the name is barely used in sits last rather than first.

Notable people with this name●(measured from records)

• Red Nicholsb. 1905USAmerican jazz musician (1905–1965)
• Red Foleyb. 1910USAmerican country musician (1910–1968)
• Red Skeltonb. 1913USAmerican comedian (1913–1997)
• Red Auerbachb. 1917USAmerican basketball coach (1917–2006)
• Red Buttonsb. 1919USAmerican comedian and actor (1919–2006)
• Red Holzmanb. 1920USAmerican basketball player and coach (1920-1998)
• Red Kellyb. 1927CACanadian ice hockey player and coach (1927-2019)
• Red Mitchellb. 1927USAmerican jazz double-bassist, composer, lyricist, and poet (1927-1992)
• Eric Redb. 1961USAmerican screenwriter and director
• Axelle Redb. 1968BEBelgian singer-songwriter

The ten people covered by the most Wikipedia language editions — a proxy for cross-cultural notability, which favours historical and Western figures over equally prominent contemporary ones — shown by birth year. Source: Wikidata (CC0).

Evidence●(measured from records)

Register rows as of the 2026-10-09 data build.

Frequently asked questions

Where does the name Red come from?

kpogbdu, kpdu ; to be or become red, kpoungo; a red berry growing in clusters, taya. TSeli. Red shining me- tal, kanigbaugbau (gold) Recorded by Vocabulary of the Mende Language.

What does the name Red mean?

Recorded meaning: kpogbdu, kpdu ; to be or become red, kpoungo; a red berry growing in clusters, taya.

In which country does Red have the most bearers?

In the United States, the national register counted about 2.0 thousand people named Red, more than in any other country we hold, where it is most often spelled red.

How common is the name Red?

In the United States, the national register counted 2,003 people named Red in 2020, about 1 in 166 thousand residents.