Ford
Old English term describing a shallow area for crossing a river.
Name Census estimates that about 7,950 living Americans carry the first name Ford. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Ford today is around 18 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ford births was 2021 (707 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ford. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
8.0K
~ 1 in 43,114 Americans
Peak year
2021
707 babies that year
Average age
18
years old
2024 SSA rank
#570
Tracked since 1880
Gender
Gender distribution for Ford
Out of the 10,381 babies given the name Ford since 1880, 99.8% were registered as male. The name sits firmly on the male side of the spectrum, with only a handful of female registrations across the entire dataset.
Ford as a male name
- Ranked #570 in 2024
- 504 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2021 (707 births)
Ford as a female name
- Ranked #14,369 in 2019
- 6 female births in 2019
- Peak: 2018 (6 births)
Popularity
Ford: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Ford from the 1880s through to the 2020s, spanning 15 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 3,071 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Ford by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Ford during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Fords live
The SSA's state-level files cover 39 states and territories. California, Texas, Michigan recorded the most babies named Ford, while Hawaii, West Virginia, Nevada recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 161 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Ford
The name Ford is an English given name derived from the Old English word "ford," which means a shallow river crossing. It originated as a topographic surname, indicating someone who lived near a ford or river crossing.
Ford is believed to have first been used as a given name in the Middle Ages, particularly in England and parts of Scotland. Some of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in medieval English records and documents.
One of the most notable historical figures with the name Ford was Ford Madox Brown, an English painter and designer born in 1821. He was a prominent figure in the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, a group of artists known for their distinctive style and attention to detail.
Another famous bearer of the name was Ford Madox Ford, an English novelist, poet, and critic born in 1873. He was a leading figure in the English literary world of the early 20th century and is best known for his novels, including "The Good Soldier" and the tetralogy "Parade's End."
In the realm of sports, Ford Frick, an American baseball executive born in 1894, left a lasting impact. He served as the Commissioner of Baseball from 1951 to 1965 and was instrumental in several key decisions that shaped the game during his tenure.
The name Ford has also been associated with the automotive industry, thanks to Henry Ford, the American industrialist and founder of the Ford Motor Company. Born in 1863, he revolutionized mass production techniques and played a pivotal role in the development of the modern automobile industry.
Another notable figure with the name Ford was Ford Rainey, an American actor and director born in 1908. He had a successful career in Hollywood, appearing in numerous films and television shows throughout the mid-20th century.
While the name Ford has its roots in Old English and was originally a topographic surname, it has since gained popularity as a given name in its own right, particularly in English-speaking countries. Its association with prominent historical figures and industries has contributed to its enduring appeal and recognition.
Notable bearers
Famous people named Ford
People
Ford + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ford as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with F
Other first names starting with F with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Ford: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ford?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 7,950 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ford going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 43,114 US residents.
Is Ford a common name?
We classify Ford as "Rare". It ranks above 97.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 10,381 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Ford most popular?
The single biggest year for Ford was 2021, when 707 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ford is about 18 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Ford a male name?
Yes, 99.8% of people registered as Ford in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.