Stafford
Stafford is a boy's name of English origin.
Meaning
Landing place by a ford.
Origin and history
Stafford is a classic English surname turned given name, originating as a place name meaning 'landing place by a ford'. It has a long history in England, associated with the historic town and county of Staffordshire. In the United States, it remains a rare and traditional masculine choice with steady, low-frequency usage.
Popularity in the United States
2,850 babies in the United States have been named Stafford since 1880. It ranks #2426 all-time. Among babies born since 2020 it ranks #1827.
States where it is most popular
- LA (50.8 %)
- VA (24.7 %)
- TX (6.8 %)
- NY (4.3 %)
- GA (3.7 %)
Trends by decade
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880-1890 | 18 |
| 1890-1900 | 0 |
| 1900-1910 | 31 |
| 1910-1920 | 244 |
| 1920-1930 | 295 |
| 1930-1940 | 248 |
| 1940-1950 | 305 |
| 1950-1960 | 419 |
| 1960-1970 | 398 |
| 1970-1980 | 213 |
| 1980-1990 | 188 |
| 1990-2000 | 168 |
| 2000-2010 | 92 |
| 2010-2019 | 131 |
| 2020-2029 | 100 |
Fun facts
- The name originally referred to the county town of Staffordshire in England, derived from Old English 'stæf' (staff or post) and 'ford' (river crossing).
- Stafford follows the long-standing Anglo-American tradition of adopting aristocratic or habitational surnames as given names.