Benford
Benford is an English surname of unknown origin. Notable people with the surname include:Christian Benford, American football player Frank Benford, American scientist who gives his name to: Benford's law, which holds that in large sets of data, individual numbers are more likely to start with lower digits Gregory Benford, American science fiction author and astrophysicist Tommy Benford, American…
Meaning & Origin of Benford
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Benford is an English surname of unknown origin. Notable people with the surname include:Christian Benford, American football player Frank Benford, American scientist who gives his name to: Benford's law, which holds that in large sets of data, individual numbers are more likely to start with lower digits Gregory Benford, American science fiction author and astrophysicist Tommy Benford, American…
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Benford
Benford first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1915, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1927, when 12 Benfords were born — ranking #2,408 that year. As of 2026, Benford ranks #7,268 for baby boys with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 366 Benfords have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Benford
Phonetically similar names — useful when Benford is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Benford
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About the name Benford
Benford is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1915 and has accumulated 366 births in the dataset. Benford's peak popularity came in 1927 when it ranked #2,408. Use the chart and map above to compare Benford's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1927 →
- Names of the 1920s →
- Names starting with "B" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
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.