Boy · #12,323 in 2026

Bedford

Name: Popularity of the name Bedford in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Bedford, baby name, popularity, U.S., SSA, rankings

Bedford is a market town in Bedfordshire, England. At the 2021 Census, the population of its urban area was 167,446. Bedford is the county town of Bedfordshire and seat of the Borough of Bedford local government district.

Current Rank

#12,323

Peak Rank

#1,117 (1924)

Total Babies

5-Yr Trend

Stable

1880

First Year

2022

Last Year

1924

Peak Year

#1117

Peak Rank

Total Count

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Bedford

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Origin & history

See also: History of Bedfordshire Roman estates with associated villas are known in the outskirts of the town, one of which is of particularly high status with fine stucco decoration found only in 2 or 3 places in the Roman north-western provinces. The name of the town is believed to derive from the name of a Saxon chief called Beda, and a ford crossing the River Great Ouse . Bedford was a market town for the surrounding agricultural region from the early Middle Ages . [ citation needed ] The Anglo-Saxon King Offa of Mercia was buried in the town in 796; this is believed to be in his new minst

The Story of Bedford

The earliest SSA record of Bedford as a baby boy name dates back to 1880, when 7 babies received it. 1924 was its biggest year on record, with 41 newborns named Bedford — #1,117 in the national rankings. The 1920s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 25% of all recorded Bedfords. Its most recent appearance in the national data came in 2022 (5 births); the name has since faded from the published rankings. In total, more than 1K Bedfords have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Names that sound like Bedford

Phonetically similar names — useful when Bedford is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Buffered
Bedard
Byford
Bufford
Bideford
Biddeford
Bradford
Bettered
Befort
Bedward
Buttered
Bittered

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Bedford

What does the name Bedford mean?

How popular is Bedford in 2026?

In 2026, Bedford ranks #12,323 among boys' names in the U.S., with 5 babies given the name that year.

When was Bedford most popular?

Bedford reached its peak popularity in 1924, ranking #1,117 that year with 41 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Bedford most popular?

Bedford has historically been most popular in Tennessee, Oklahoma, Mississippi. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Bedford.

Is Bedford a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Bedford is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.

What names go well with Bedford?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Bedford include Evertt, Graig, Debbie. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Bedford

Bedford is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 1K births in the dataset. Bedford's peak popularity came in 1924 when it ranked #1,117. Use the chart and map above to compare Bedford's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.