Stanford
Stanford is both a surname, and a masculine given name of English origin.
Meaning & Origin of Stanford
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Stanford is both a surname, and a masculine given name of English origin.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Stanford
Stanford first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1880, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1954, when 135 Stanfords were born — ranking #633 that year. As of 2026, Stanford ranks #7,216 for baby boys with 10 births, falling sharply (-17%). In total, more than 8K Stanfords 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 Stanford
Phonetically similar names — useful when Stanford 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 Stanford
What does the name Stanford mean?
How popular is Stanford in 2026?
When was Stanford most popular?
In which U.S. states is Stanford most popular?
Is Stanford a unisex name?
What names go well with Stanford?
About the name Stanford
Stanford is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 8K births in the dataset. Stanford's peak popularity came in 1954 when it ranked #503. Use the chart and map above to compare Stanford's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1954 →
- Names of the 1950s →
- 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.