Fun Facts About the Name Willford
- 146 babies named Willford: U.S. records list 146 babies given the name Willford from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Willford Mean?
Willford is an English name meaning "ford by the willows." It comes from Old English wilig (willow) and ford (a shallow crossing place in a river), so the literal sense is a river crossing marked by willow trees. It is a variant spelling of the surname and place name Wilford.
The first element is usually explained as the willow tree, but not all accounts agree. Some derive it from a personal name rather than a plant, and others point to Old English wella (spring or stream). The willow explanation is the common one, yet the derivation is not fully settled. The similar-looking Wilfred is a separate name, built from Old English wil (will, desire) and friþ (peace).
Willford Name History & Origins
Willford enters use through the English surname Wilford, which itself comes from place names. The best known is Wilford in Nottinghamshire, a village on the south bank of the River Trent that is now a suburb of Nottingham. A second Wilford lies in Suffolk. English surnames of this kind were taken from the place where a family lived or held land, and such names became fixed in the later Middle Ages.
The given name follows the surname into use, and the double l in Willford marks it as a spelling variant of Wilford. It has no separate etymological history of its own; it shares the origin and the place-name connections of the single-l form. The element ford is one of the most common in English place names, and it appears here in its ordinary river-crossing sense.
How Popular is the Name Willford?
Willford has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 1942. Its best rank was #2,383 in 1942.
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 | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1948 | #4,188 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1944 | #3,102 | 7 | 0.0005% |
| 1942 | #2,383 | 11 | 0.0008% |
| 1941 | #3,498 | 6 | 0.0005% |
| 1940 | #3,456 | 6 | 0.0005% |
| 1936 | #3,141 | 7 | 0.0007% |
| 1934 | #3,670 | 6 | 0.0006% |
| 1932 | #3,087 | 8 | 0.0008% |
| 1931 | #4,305 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1928 | #3,353 | 8 | 0.0007% |
| 1927 | #3,772 | 7 | 0.0006% |
| 1926 | #4,183 | 6 | 0.0005% |
| 1925 | #3,149 | 9 | 0.0008% |
| 1923 | #3,462 | 8 | 0.0007% |
| 1922 | #4,301 | 6 | 0.0006% |
| 1921 | #3,861 | 7 | 0.0006% |
| 1920 | #4,970 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1919 | #4,795 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1918 | #3,718 | 7 | 0.0007% |
| 1917 | #4,588 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1915 | #4,381 | 5 | 0.0006% |
| 1913 | #2,492 | 7 | 0.0014% |
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.
Most Popular Boy Names That Start with W
How the Name Willford Shapes Your Personality and Life?
To express itself, you must follow the divine law of love. You have great persistence and hate to give up. You are a good mixer, charming, magnetic and intuitive. The spirituality is the key to success. You are intuitive and might be interested in the arts, drama or science.
You desire to inspire and lead, to control other's affairs. You are giving, courageous and bold, action oriented,energetic and strong willed. You want to make a difference in the world, and this attitude often attracts you to cultural interests, politics, social issues, and the cultivation of your creative talents.
✦ Willford's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Willford's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.