Fordyce
From an Old English surname meaning "ford by a dice valley".
Name Census estimates that about 8 living Americans carry the first name Fordyce. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Fordyce today is around 87 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Fordyce births was 1918 (11 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Fordyce. 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.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Fordyce is about 87 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Fordyces were born before 1949.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Fordyce. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
8
~ 1 in 42,844,292 Americans
Peak year
1918
11 babies that year
Average age
87
years old
1943 SSA rank
#3,346
Tracked since 1900
Popularity
Fordyce: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Fordyce from the 1900s through to the 1940s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1910s, with 46 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1910s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Fordyce 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 Fordyce during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Fordyces live
Origin
Meaning and history of Fordyce
The name Fordyce has its origins in the Old English language, with roots dating back to the 5th century CE. It is derived from the words "ford" meaning a shallow river crossing, and "yce" meaning an island or piece of dry land. The name was initially used to describe someone who lived near a river ford or an island formed by a river.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Fordyce can be found in the Domesday Book, a record of landowners in England compiled in 1086 CE. The entry mentions a landowner named Fordyce holding estates in Hertfordshire.
In the 12th century, a Fordyce family established themselves as powerful landowners in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The family's ancestral home, Fordyce Castle, still stands today and is a testament to their historical significance.
During the Middle Ages, the name Fordyce was also found in religious texts and records. In 1285 CE, a monk named Fordyce is mentioned in the chronicles of the Cistercian Abbey of Kinloss in Scotland.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Fordyce. One of the earliest was Sir William Fordyce (1655-1727), a Scottish lawyer and judge who served as Lord Advocate of Scotland from 1699 to 1711.
Another notable figure was George Fordyce (1736-1802), a Scottish physician and chemist who made significant contributions to the study of human anatomy and the understanding of digestion.
In the literary world, James Fordyce (1720-1796) was a Scottish minister and author who wrote popular works on moral philosophy and education, including "Addresses to Young Men" and "Addresses to Young Women."
John Fordyce (1786-1854), a British geologist and surveyor, is remembered for his pioneering work in the study of soil mechanics and his contributions to the construction of railways and canals.
Finally, Sir William Fordyce Mavor (1758-1837) was a Scottish writer and clergyman who published several educational works, including "The British Tourists" and "The Universal History, Ancient and Modern."
These are just a few examples of notable individuals who have carried the name Fordyce throughout history, a name that has endured for centuries and has roots in the rich linguistic and cultural heritage of the British Isles.
People
Fordyce + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Fordyce 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
Fordyce: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Fordyce?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 8 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Fordyce 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 42,844,292 US residents.
Is Fordyce a common name?
We classify Fordyce as "Very Rare". It ranks above 24.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 95 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Fordyce most popular?
The single biggest year for Fordyce was 1918, when 11 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Fordyce is about 87 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Fordyce in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Fordyce a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Fordyce 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.
Is Fordyce still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Fordyce in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Fordyce can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many Americans are named Fordyce?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.