Taft
William Howard Taft was the 27th president of the United States from 1909 to 1913 and the tenth chief justice of the United States from 1921 to 1930. He is the only person to have held both offices.
Meaning & Origin of Taft
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
William Howard Taft was the 27th president of the United States from 1909 to 1913 and the tenth chief justice of the United States from 1921 to 1930. He is the only person to have held both offices.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Taft
Taft first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1907, with 16 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1908, when 62 Tafts were born — ranking #272 that year. As of 2026, Taft ranks #7,931 for baby boys with 5 births, falling sharply (-54%). In total, more than 2K Tafts have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1900s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Taft
Phonetically similar names — useful when Taft is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
- Tuft
- Toft
- Tift
- Toughed
- Tefft
- Tufte
- Tft
- Tiffed
- Tofte
- Daft
- Tat
- Taffy
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Taft
What does the name Taft mean?
How popular is Taft in 2026?
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In which U.S. states is Taft most popular?
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About the name Taft
Taft is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1907 and has accumulated 2K births in the dataset. Taft's peak popularity came in 1908 when it ranked #272. Use the chart and map above to compare Taft's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1908 →
- Names of the 1900s →
- Names starting with "T" →
- 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.