Rayford
Rayford is both a given name and surname.
Meaning & Origin of Rayford
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Rayford is both a given name and surname.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Rayford
Rayford first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1896, with 8 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1937, when 124 Rayfords were born — ranking #517 that year. As of 2026, Rayford ranks #10,812 for baby boys with 6 births, with steady use. In total, more than 6K Rayfords have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1890s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Rayford
Phonetically similar names — useful when Rayford 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 Rayford
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About the name Rayford
Rayford is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1896 and has accumulated 6K births in the dataset. Rayford's peak popularity came in 1937 when it ranked #517. Use the chart and map above to compare Rayford's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1937 →
- Names of the 1930s →
- Names starting with "R" →
- 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.