Todd is an English masculine given name derived from the English surname Todd, which itself comes from Middle English todde, meaning "fox." This animal nickname likely referred to someone with fox-like cleverness or a red-haired complexion. The surname has early medieval origins in northern England and Scotland, where the word tod(d) was commonly used for the fox.As a given name, Todd was exceedingly rare before the 20th century. It gained modest popularity after the 1930s, then experienced a significant surge in the post-World War II baby boom. Todd peaked in much of the English-speaking world during the 1960s and 1970s, ranking among the top 100 names for boys in the United States, Australia, and Canada during that era. Its popularity declined sharply from the 1980s onward, falling out of the top 200 in the US by the early 21st century.Cultural SignificanceIn popular culture, the name Todd has been used for a wide array of fictional figures. Walter White's ruthless henchman Todd Alquist appears in the television series Breaking Bad and its film sequel El Camino. In animation, Todd Flanders is the son of Ned Flanders on The Simpsons, while Todd Chavez is a humanoid character on BoJack Horseman voiced by Aaron Paul. Other TV characters include Todd Dempsey from Outsourced, Todd Manning from the soap One Life to Live, and Todd Grimshaw from the British soap Coronation Street. Notable fictional bears include Todd from Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, a vegan with psychic powers.The nickname "Tod" (without the extra 'd'), used in earlier centuries, remains occasional. Related names such as Tod also derive from the same root.Notable BearersTodd Haynes – American film director (Carol)Todd Rundgren – American musician and producerTodd Campbell – American NBA playerTodd McFarlane – Canadian comic book creator of Spawn