Boy · #8,435 in 2026

Raiford

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

Raiford is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:Conrad L. Raiford (1907–2002), American athlete and police officer Robert D. Raiford (1927–2017), American radio broadcaster and actor Rudolph Douglas Raiford (1922–2002), American WWII veteran and lawyer

Current Rank

#8,435

Peak Rank

#1,770 (1931)

Total Babies

594

5-Yr Trend

Stable

1913

First Year

1992

Last Year

1931

Peak Year

#1770

Peak Rank

594

Total Count

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Raiford

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

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

The Story of Raiford

Raiford first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1913, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1931, when 17 Raifords were born — ranking #1,770 that year. As of 2026, Raiford ranks #8,435 for baby boys with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 594 Raifords have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Names that sound like Raiford

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

Rayford
Referred
Crayford
Hayford
Reefer
Referee
Roared
Refer
Preferred
Crawford
Roofer
Reared

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Raiford

What does the name Raiford mean?

How popular is Raiford in 2026?

In 2026, Raiford ranks #8,435 among boys' names in the U.S., with 5 babies given the name that year.

When was Raiford most popular?

Raiford reached its peak popularity in 1931, ranking #1,770 that year with 17 babies given the name.

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

Raiford has historically been most popular in Georgia. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Raiford.

Is Raiford a unisex name?

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

What names go well with Raiford?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Raiford include Rockne, Pinkney, Posey. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Raiford

Raiford is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1913 and has accumulated 594 births in the dataset. Raiford's peak popularity came in 1931 when it ranked #1,770. Use the chart and map above to compare Raiford'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.