Holding steady, #10,695 for boys today.
Popularity of Radford since 1885
Babies named Radford per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 1935, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Radford's real moment was 1885.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Boys |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 5 |
| 1890s | 10 |
| 1900s | 15 |
| 1910s | 113 |
| 1920s | 182 |
| 1930s | 150 |
| 1940s | 151 |
| 1950s | 178 |
| 1960s | 149 |
| 1970s | 87 |
| 1980s | 48 |
| 1990s | 27 |
| 2000s | 0 |
| 2010s | 58 |
| 2020s | 31 |
Meaning & origin
Radford is a rare given name that originated as an English surname and place name. It first appeared in U.S. birth records in 1885, and in 2024 the name ranked #10,695 with approximately 1 in 284,679 boys receiving it. The name's peak popularity was in 1885, its year of first recorded use, and it has remained stable at very low usage since then. The name has not appeared in top states data, as its incidence is too low to register regional concentrations. Radford's combination of the solid 'Rad' nickname and the classic suffix 'ford' appeals to parents seeking a distinctive but traditional-sounding name with English roots.
Radford is an English surname and place name, derived from Old English 'read' (red) and 'ford' (ford), meaning 'red ford'. It originally referred to someone who lived near a ford with red soil or reeds. As a given name, it has been used sparingly since the late 19th century, perhaps inspired by notable families or places bearing the name.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Rad
Sibling names for Radford
Names that share Radford's style, for a brother or sister.
