Boy · #7,285 in 2026

Rutherford

The surname Rutherford, also Rutherfurd, is a Scottish and Northern English habitational surname deriving from a place in the Scottish borders region near Roxburgh. It is also a given name.

Current Rank
#7,285
Peak Rank
#1,509 (1921)
Total Babies
729
5-Yr Trend
Stable
1880
First Year
2023
Last Year
1921
Peak Year
#1509
Peak Rank
729
Total Count
75
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Rutherford

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

The surname Rutherford, also Rutherfurd, is a Scottish and Northern English habitational surname deriving from a place in the Scottish borders region near Roxburgh. It is also a given name.

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

Origin & history
Rutherford is a Scottish border clan name. The name comes from a place-name in Roxburghshire on the south bank of the river Tweed, midway between Melrose and Kelso. A village there, then called Rothersfurth, was burnt and razed by an English army in 1545 and has disappeared from the map. The origin of the Rutherford name is thought to have been the Old English "rother" meaning “cattle” and "ford", “a river crossing.” Or according to another theory, the name can be traced back to the West Flemish name Ruddervoorde , a community now part of Oostkamp . Another theory of the origin of the name sta

The Story of Rutherford

Rutherford first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1880, with 8 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1921, when 25 Rutherfords were born — ranking #1,509 that year. As of 2026, Rutherford ranks #7,285 for baby boys with 11 births, with steady use. In total, more than 729 Rutherfords have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
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WI
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NY
VT
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OR
ID
SD
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IL
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OH
PA
NJ
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RI
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NE
MO
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VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
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OK
LA
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Top 10
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No data

Names that sound like Rutherford

Phonetically similar names — useful when Rutherford 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 Rutherford

What does the name Rutherford mean?
The surname Rutherford, also Rutherfurd, is a Scottish and Northern English habitational surname deriving from a place in the Scottish borders region near Roxburgh. It is also a given name.
How popular is Rutherford in 2026?
In 2026, Rutherford ranks #7,285 among boys' names in the U.S., with 11 babies given the name that year.
When was Rutherford most popular?
Rutherford reached its peak popularity in 1921, ranking #1,509 that year with 25 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Rutherford most popular?
Rutherford has historically been most popular in Florida, Kentucky, Texas. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Rutherford.
Is Rutherford a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Rutherford is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.
What names go well with Rutherford?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Rutherford include Simpson, Obert, Librado. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

Similar Names

👦
Simpson
Peak #1509
👦
Obert
Peak #1509
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Librado
Peak #1509
👦
Ralston
Peak #1509
👦
Herve
Peak #1509
👦
Romaine
Peak #1509
👦
Audry
Peak #1509
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Gean
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About the name Rutherford

Rutherford is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 729 births in the dataset. Rutherford's peak popularity came in 1921 when it ranked #1,509. Use the chart and map above to compare Rutherford'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.