Ned

English, diminutive of Edward

"wealthy guardian"

Ned Origin and Meaning

The name Ned is a boy's name of English origin meaning "wealthy guardian".

Ned is a gently old-fashioned Nancy Drew-Bobbsey Twins-era short form for Edward that sounds cooler than Ed and is enjoying a small style renaissance.

Usage of Ned in literature goes back to a Ben Johnson character in 1614, and it is also the name of the protagonist in James Fenimore Cooper's Ned Myers. In Australia, Ned Kelly is famous as a larger-than-life legendary outlaw figure. In this country, Ned Rorem is a respected modern composer.

There was a 1990s sitcom called Ned and Stacey, and other Neds have appeared in The Simpsons (neighbor Flanders), Groundhog Day and School of Rock. Ned Stark is a prominent, and unusually heroic, character in Game of Thrones, giving the name some new cultural cache, though we can't recommend using his proper name, Eddard.

Ned Rank in US Top 1000

# 951 in the US

Ned Rank in Nameberry Top 1000

# 717 on Nameberry

Popularity of the name Ned

• 717 Nameberry 2025
• 763 England 2023

20 Names Similar to Ned

These 20 names were selected by our users that were looking for other names like Ned.

• Bertie
• Elmer
• Walt
• Herbert
• Homer
• Barney
• Howard
• Clifford
• Abe
• Humphrey
• Earl
• Moses
• Seymour
• Fred
• Milton
• Hubert
• Clem
• Gene
• Paddy
• Guy

Famous People Named Ned

• Ned Rorem American composer
• Ned Payne Austin American actor
• Edward "Ned" Kelly Australian bushranger and folk hero
• Edward Hugh "Ned" Hanlon American basebal player
• Ned Rocknroll (born Abel Smith) nephew of Richard Branson, husband of actress Kate Winslet
• Edgar Frederick "Ned" Yost III American baseball player and manager
• Ned Washington American lyricist
• Ned Thomas Beatty American actor
• Ned Jarrett American NASCAR driver
• Ned Eisenberg American actor
• Ned Fulmer American actor and director for Buzzfeed
• Ned Hepburn American writer and blogger
• Edward Miner "Ned" Lamont American businessman and politician
• Nusyn "Ned" Glass Polish,American actor
• Ned Bellamy American actor
• Edmund "Ned" Foley son of actor Dave Foley

The name Ned in Pop Culture

• Nedward "Ned" Flanders character on TV's "The Simpsons"
• Eddard "Ned" Stark character in the Game of Thrones series
• Ned Ryerson character in movie "Groundhog Day"
• Ned Dorsey main character on TV's "Ned & Stacey"
• Ned the Pie Maker main character on TV's "Pushing Daisies"
• Ned Bigby character on TV's "Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide"
• Ned Nickerson boyfriend in the Nancy Drew series
• Ned character on TV's "The Tribe"
• Ned Dorneget character on TV's "NCIS"
• Ned Gerblansky character in the television series South Park
• Ned Land character in book/film "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea"
• Ned Nederlander one of the "Three Amigos"
• Ned Plimpton character in the film The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
• Ned Quartermaine character on American soap "General Hospital"
• Ned Ryder character in Evelyn Waugh's "Brideshead Revisited"
• Ned Schneebly character in the 2003 film School of Rock
• Nedwin "Ned " character in the book series "Beyonders: A World Without Heroes"
• Ned Banks character on TV's "Ghost Whisperer"
• Ned Parker character on Australian soap "Neighbours"
• Edward "Ned" Leeds character in the movie "Spider,Man: Homecoming"
• Ned Henry main character of Connie Willis's novel "To Say Nothing of the Dog"
• "Ned's Newt " Canadian animated series
• "The Misfortune of Being Ned " animated web series
• "Waking Ned Devine " 1998 Irish film
• Ned Scottish derogatory term for hooligans, louts or criminals