Sanford
Sanford is a male given name of Old English origin, meaning "sandy ford". Notable people with the name include:Sanford Barsky, American professor of pathology Sanford Bates (1884–1972), American penologist, administrator and author Sanford Berman, American librarian Sanford I.
Meaning & Origin of Sanford
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Sanford is a male given name of Old English origin, meaning "sandy ford". Notable people with the name include:Sanford Barsky, American professor of pathology Sanford Bates (1884–1972), American penologist, administrator and author Sanford Berman, American librarian Sanford I.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Sanford
Sanford first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1880, with 30 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1929, when 315 Sanfords were born — ranking #311 that year. As of 2026, Sanford ranks #7,209 for baby boys with 10 births, falling sharply (-19%). In total, more than 15K Sanfords have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Sanford
Phonetically similar names — useful when Sanford 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 Sanford
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About the name Sanford
Sanford is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 15K births in the dataset. Sanford's peak popularity came in 1929 when it ranked #298. Use the chart and map above to compare Sanford's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1929 →
- Names of the 1920s →
- Names starting with "S" →
- 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.