Holding steady.
Popularity of Hansford since 1882
Babies named Hansford per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 1917, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Hansford's real moment was 1882.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Boys |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 6 |
| 1890s | 0 |
| 1900s | 11 |
| 1910s | 112 |
| 1920s | 164 |
| 1930s | 107 |
| 1940s | 109 |
| 1950s | 41 |
| 1960s | 21 |
| 1970s | 16 |
| 1980s | 0 |
| 1990s | 0 |
| 2000s | 0 |
| 2010s | 0 |
| 2020s | 0 |
Meaning & origin
Hansford is a rare English given name with origins as a surname meaning 'Hans's ford', combining the name Hans (a short form of John) with the geographic term 'ford'. It first appeared in U.S. records in 1882, its peak year, but has never ranked among the top 1000 names. The name's trajectory has been stable, with minimal usage over the decades. As a surname-turned-first-name, it reflects a 19th-century trend of adopting family surnames as given names, particularly in the American South, though no top states are recorded for its use. Hansford remains a highly uncommon choice, preserving a sense of historical and regional distinctiveness.
Hansford originated as an English locative surname, derived from a place name combining the personal name Hans (a short form of John) and 'ford' (a river crossing). It was occasionally adopted as a given name in the 19th century, particularly in the southern United States, though it has never been common.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Hans, Ford
Sibling names for Hansford
Names that share Hansford's style, for a brother or sister.
