Holding steady.
Popularity of Medford since 1911
Babies named Medford per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Boys |
|---|---|
| 1910s | 117 |
| 1920s | 214 |
| 1930s | 126 |
| 1940s | 112 |
| 1950s | 58 |
| 1960s | 33 |
| 1970s | 0 |
| 1980s | 5 |
| 1990s | 0 |
| 2000s | 0 |
| 2010s | 0 |
| 2020s | 0 |
Meaning & origin
Medford first appeared in U.S. birth records in 1911 but never became a common name. It reached its peak in 1924, the same year that saw many now-dated surname names. After a brief run of use in the 1920s, the name rapidly declined in popularity and has not ranked in the top 1000 for decades. Most years since the 1930s record only a handful of births, making Medford a rare choice. Its stable trajectory suggests it has never experienced a revival. Because so few boys have been named Medford in recent years, the 1-in-N statistic is unavailable, but its association with the early 20th century gives it a distinctly vintage character.
Medford is an English surname derived from a place name, composed of the Old English elements 'mǣd' (meadow) and 'ford' (ford). It originally referred to someone who lived by a meadow ford, a ford near a meadow. As a given name, it saw modest use in the United States during the early 20th century, mostly confined to the 1920s.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Med, Ford
Sibling names for Medford
Names that share Medford's style, for a brother or sister.
