Holding steady.
Popularity of Bedford since 1880
Babies named Bedford per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 1924, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Bedford's real moment was 1887.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Boys |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 49 |
| 1890s | 29 |
| 1900s | 54 |
| 1910s | 181 |
| 1920s | 305 |
| 1930s | 201 |
| 1940s | 158 |
| 1950s | 122 |
| 1960s | 82 |
| 1970s | 24 |
| 1980s | 20 |
| 1990s | 5 |
| 2000s | 0 |
| 2010s | 5 |
| 2020s | 5 |
Meaning & origin
Bedford is a rare given name that functions as a transferred surname. According to Social Security data, its peak year of usage was 1887, though it never achieved high rank nationally. The name has remained stable in its low frequency over the decades, with no recorded top states of popularity. As a locational surname-derived name, it fits a pattern of 19th-century revival of English place names.
Bedford derives from the Old English personal name Beda and ford, meaning a shallow crossing. It was originally a locational surname for someone from the town of Bedford in England. As a given name, it emerged in the 19th century, likely as a surname transfer reflecting family or place pride.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Bed, Ford
Sibling names for Bedford
Names that share Bedford's style, for a brother or sister.
