Fun Facts About the Name Stafford
- More than 2 thousand babies named Stafford: U.S. records list 2,850 babies given the name Stafford from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Stafford Mean?
Stafford is an English name meaning a ford by a landing place or a ford at a shore. It comes from the Old English elements stæð, meaning landing place, shore, or bank, and ford, meaning ford. The name is habitational: it was originally a surname for someone from the town of Stafford, the county town of Staffordshire, England. The town's name has the same Old English origin. The literal sense is topographical: a ford located at a landing place or riverbank. Stafford is not related to Stanford, which comes from Old English stān, meaning stone, plus ford.
Stafford Name History & Origins
Stafford began as a place name in England. The town of Stafford in Staffordshire is recorded in Domesday Book, and its Old English name used the elements stæð and ford. In the Middle Ages, English surnames became hereditary, and people who left Stafford were often identified by the name of the town. That is how Stafford became a surname. The surname was borne by the Stafford family, whose members held the title Earl of Stafford from the 14th century.
The given name Stafford comes from the surname. It is used as a masculine first name in the English-speaking world. A notable bearer was Sir Stafford Cripps, a British Labour politician and diplomat. The name is distinct from the similar place names Stanford, from Old English stān meaning stone and ford, and Stratford, from Old English strǣt meaning Roman road and ford.
How Popular is the Name Stafford?
Stafford recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 1959. Its best rank was #837 in 1884.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #3,933 | 28 | 0.0016% |
| 2024 | #6,401 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 2023 | #7,235 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2022 | #5,403 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 2021 | #6,301 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 2020 | #6,245 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 2019 | #7,564 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2018 | #5,743 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 2017 | #6,293 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 2016 | #7,083 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 2015 | #6,265 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 2014 | #7,482 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2013 | #4,775 | 20 | 0.0011% |
| 2012 | #6,977 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 2011 | #7,433 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2010 | #8,052 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2009 | #14,207 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2008 | #6,352 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 2007 | #8,079 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2006 | #6,848 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 2004 | #6,915 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2003 | #8,518 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2002 | #12,242 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2001 | #6,867 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2000 | #4,536 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 1999 | #7,773 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1998 | #5,123 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1997 | #4,422 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 1996 | #4,162 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 1995 | #3,673 | 18 | 0.0009% |
| 1994 | #3,449 | 20 | 0.0010% |
| 1993 | #4,188 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 1992 | #3,319 | 20 | 0.0010% |
| 1991 | #2,818 | 24 | 0.0012% |
| 1990 | #3,293 | 19 | 0.0009% |
| 1989 | #3,784 | 15 | 0.0007% |
| 1988 | #2,187 | 29 | 0.0015% |
| 1987 | #2,264 | 26 | 0.0014% |
| 1986 | #3,419 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 1985 | #2,811 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 1984 | #2,429 | 21 | 0.0012% |
| 1983 | #2,562 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 1982 | #2,959 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 1981 | #2,667 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 1980 | #3,587 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1979 | #2,762 | 17 | 0.0010% |
| 1978 | #3,051 | 14 | 0.0009% |
| 1977 | #2,769 | 16 | 0.0010% |
| 1976 | #2,691 | 16 | 0.0010% |
| 1975 | #1,778 | 28 | 0.0018% |
| 1974 | #2,444 | 17 | 0.0011% |
| 1973 | #2,112 | 20 | 0.0013% |
| 1972 | #2,232 | 18 | 0.0011% |
| 1971 | #1,820 | 25 | 0.0014% |
| 1970 | #1,294 | 42 | 0.0023% |
| 1969 | #1,165 | 46 | 0.0026% |
| 1968 | #1,610 | 25 | 0.0014% |
| 1967 | #1,503 | 27 | 0.0015% |
| 1966 | #1,145 | 43 | 0.0024% |
| 1965 | #1,187 | 42 | 0.0023% |
| 1964 | #1,110 | 48 | 0.0024% |
| 1963 | #1,302 | 37 | 0.0018% |
| 1962 | #1,226 | 41 | 0.0020% |
| 1961 | #1,174 | 46 | 0.0022% |
| 1960 | #1,207 | 43 | 0.0020% |
| 1959 | #1,067 | 53 | 0.0025% |
| 1958 | #1,368 | 33 | 0.0016% |
| 1957 | #1,213 | 42 | 0.0019% |
| 1956 | #1,080 | 50 | 0.0024% |
| 1955 | #1,365 | 32 | 0.0016% |
| 1954 | #1,134 | 44 | 0.0022% |
| 1953 | #1,186 | 40 | 0.0020% |
| 1952 | #1,149 | 42 | 0.0022% |
| 1951 | #1,137 | 41 | 0.0022% |
| 1950 | #1,104 | 42 | 0.0023% |
| 1949 | #1,182 | 37 | 0.0021% |
| 1948 | #1,074 | 44 | 0.0025% |
| 1947 | #1,293 | 33 | 0.0018% |
| 1946 | #1,326 | 29 | 0.0018% |
| 1945 | #1,267 | 28 | 0.0021% |
| 1944 | #1,207 | 31 | 0.0023% |
| 1943 | #1,429 | 25 | 0.0018% |
| 1942 | #1,073 | 41 | 0.0030% |
| 1941 | #1,683 | 18 | 0.0015% |
| 1940 | #1,620 | 19 | 0.0016% |
| 1939 | #1,320 | 26 | 0.0023% |
| 1938 | #1,681 | 18 | 0.0016% |
| 1937 | #1,341 | 26 | 0.0024% |
| 1936 | #2,164 | 12 | 0.0012% |
| 1935 | #989 | 42 | 0.0040% |
| 1934 | #1,720 | 18 | 0.0017% |
| 1933 | #1,358 | 25 | 0.0025% |
| 1932 | #1,353 | 27 | 0.0026% |
| 1931 | #1,387 | 26 | 0.0025% |
| 1930 | #1,395 | 28 | 0.0026% |
| 1929 | #1,408 | 27 | 0.0025% |
| 1928 | #1,640 | 22 | 0.0020% |
| 1927 | #1,433 | 28 | 0.0025% |
| 1926 | #1,401 | 28 | 0.0025% |
| 1925 | #1,328 | 31 | 0.0028% |
| 1924 | #1,410 | 29 | 0.0026% |
| 1923 | #1,357 | 30 | 0.0027% |
| 1922 | #1,364 | 30 | 0.0028% |
| 1921 | #1,250 | 35 | 0.0032% |
| 1920 | #1,232 | 35 | 0.0033% |
| 1919 | #1,118 | 39 | 0.0040% |
| 1918 | #1,034 | 43 | 0.0042% |
| 1917 | #1,260 | 30 | 0.0032% |
| 1916 | #1,261 | 29 | 0.0033% |
| 1915 | #1,548 | 21 | 0.0025% |
| 1914 | #1,382 | 20 | 0.0031% |
| 1913 | #1,105 | 22 | 0.0043% |
| 1912 | #1,019 | 21 | 0.0049% |
| 1911 | #1,280 | 9 | 0.0040% |
| 1910 | #1,109 | 10 | 0.0051% |
| 1907 | #1,188 | 7 | 0.0048% |
| 1905 | #1,218 | 6 | 0.0045% |
| 1903 | #1,117 | 6 | 0.0050% |
| 1902 | #1,296 | 5 | 0.0041% |
| 1901 | #936 | 7 | 0.0066% |
| 1889 | #961 | 6 | 0.0054% |
| 1884 | #837 | 7 | 0.0061% |
| 1882 | #1,077 | 5 | 0.0044% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
Explore More Lists with Name Stafford
Most Popular Boy Names That Start with S
How the Name Stafford Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are spiritually intense and can sting or charm. Your name brings love and new starts into life and attracts money. In business, you are the creator and promoter of original ideas and usually enjoy considerable financial success. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
Position and social status is very important for you and you are always looking for way to improve your position in society. You have power and ability to chose your own destiny and achieve anything you want in life. You can expand in any direction according to your will and the set of values. You have passion for justice and belong to the position of authority. You have an inherent courage and endurance to accomplish "The Impossible Dream". With the power comes responsibility. You hold keys to the material world, but with this gift comes high spiritual responsibility to be fair and true to others. You are philosophical and mature, determined and intense with a desire to endure, often religious.
✦ Stafford's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Stafford's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.