Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 1959

Stafford

Meaning landing place Gender Boy Rank 2025 #3,933 Trend ↑ Rising 35%

From Old English stæþ (“landing place”) + ford.

Rank 2025
#3,933
among boys · ↑2,494 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
28
named Stafford
How common
1 in 61,003
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1959
53 babies
All-time total
2,850
#2,625 all-time among boys
First recorded
1882
in Social Security records

Stafford popularity over time

2,850 babies have been named Stafford since 1882, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.020.040.060.0818801900192019401960198020002020Peak 1901Boys

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Boys Per year Change Best rank
1880s 18 2 – #837
1890s – – – –
1900s 31 3 – #936
1910s 244 24 +687% #1,019
1920s 295 30 +21% #1,232
1930s 248 25 -16% #989
1940s 305 31 +23% #1,073
1950s 419 42 +37% #1,067
1960s 398 40 -5% #1,111
1970s 213 21 -46% #1,294
1980s 188 19 -12% #2,187
1990s 168 17 -11% #2,818
2000s 92 9 -45% #4,537
2010s 131 13 +42% #4,775
2020s (to 2025) 100 17 +27% #3,933

Where Stafford is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 boys Implied rank
2026 30 0.02 outside top 500
2027 31 0.02 outside top 500
2028 32 0.02 outside top 500
2029 34 0.02 outside top 500
2030 35 0.02 outside top 500

The story of Stafford

Stafford is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #3,933 in 2025 with 28 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1882, 2,850 American babies have been named Stafford. Its peak came in 1959, when 53 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1950s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Stafford stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Stafford?

The median living Stafford is about 55 years old; half are between 33 and 68. An estimated 1,700 people named Stafford are alive in the United States today.

median 55 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Stafford year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Boys Boys rank
2025 28 #3,933
2024 14 #6,427
2023 12 #7,240
2022 18 #5,406
2021 14 #6,301
2020 14 #6,249
2019 11 #7,565
2018 16 #5,743
2017 14 #6,293
2016 12 #7,085
2015 14 #6,267
2014 11 #7,484
2013 20 #4,775
2012 12 #6,978
2011 11 #7,435
2010 10 #8,052
2009 5 #14,211
2008 14 #6,353
2007 10 #8,079
2006 12 #6,849
2005 – –
2004 11 #6,915
2003 8 #8,519
2002 5 #12,243
2001 10 #6,867
2000 17 #4,537
1995 18 #3,673
1990 19 #3,293
1985 18 #2,811
1980 12 #3,588
1975 28 #1,778
1970 42 #1,294
1965 42 #1,187
1960 43 #1,207
1955 32 #1,365
1950 42 #1,104
1945 28 #1,267
1940 19 #1,619
1935 42 #989
1930 28 #1,395
1925 31 #1,328
1920 35 #1,232
1915 21 #1,548
1910 10 #1,109
1905 6 #1,218
1900 – –
1895 – –
1890 – –
1885 – –
1880 – –

Famous people named Stafford

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Stafford Cripps Stafford Cripps British politician and diplomat (1889–1952) 19th century

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Stafford, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Stafford?

The median living Stafford is about 55 years old. Half of all living Staffords are between 33 and 68 years old.

How many people named Stafford are alive today?

An estimated 1,700 people named Stafford are alive in the United States, based on 2,850 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Stafford mean?

From Old English stæþ (“landing place”) + ford.

How popular is the name Stafford in 2025?

Stafford ranked #3,933 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 28 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Stafford?

2,850 babies have been named Stafford in the United States since 1882, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Stafford most popular?

Stafford peaked in 1959, when 53 newborns received the name.

Is Stafford a boy or girl name?

Stafford is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Stafford rising or falling?

Stafford is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Will Stafford become more popular?

Stafford is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 35 boys named Stafford in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Stafford?

Well-known people named Stafford include Stafford Cripps (politician).

Names like Stafford

Names that sound and feel close to Stafford: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Stafford with similar names → More names starting with S →