Lunsford
From English origins meaning "lunt's ford", with lunt referring to windblown ashes.
Name Census estimates that about 4 living Americans carry the first name Lunsford. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Lunsford today is around 94 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Lunsford births was 1918 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Lunsford. 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 Lunsford is about 94 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Lunsfords were born before 1942.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Lunsford. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
4
~ 1 in 85,688,585 Americans
Peak year
1918
7 babies that year
Average age
94
years old
1944 SSA rank
#3,320
Tracked since 1913
Popularity
Lunsford: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Lunsford from the 1910s through to the 1940s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1910s, with 12 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1910s peak, Lunsford remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Lunsford 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 Lunsford during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Lunsford
The name Lunsford originated in England during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old English words "lund," meaning a grove or wooded area, and "ford," referring to a shallow place where a river or stream could be crossed. The combination of these two words suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone living near a wooded ford or crossing.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Lunsford can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Lundesforde." This document, commissioned by William the Conqueror, was a survey of land ownership in England and provides valuable insights into the names and locations of that era.
During the 13th century, the name Lunsford gained prominence with Sir Thomas Lunsford (c. 1260 - c. 1330), a prominent English knight and landowner. He fought in the Wars of Scottish Independence and was granted lands in Worcestershire for his service to King Edward I.
In the 16th century, Sir Thomas Lunsford (c. 1525 - 1580) was a renowned English soldier and military commander who served under Queen Elizabeth I. He played a crucial role in the suppression of the Northern Rebellion in 1569 and was later appointed as the Lieutenant of the Tower of London.
Another notable figure was Sir Henry Lunsford (1592 - 1663), a Royalist officer during the English Civil War. He was appointed as the Lieutenant of the Tower of London by King Charles I in 1641 but later surrendered the Tower to Parliamentary forces in 1642.
During the 17th century, Thomas Lunsford (1611 - 1659) was an English clergyman and academic who served as the President of St John's College, Oxford. He was a prominent figure in the Church of England and played a significant role in the religious and intellectual life of the time.
Throughout its history, the name Lunsford has maintained a strong association with England and its cultural heritage. While its popularity has fluctuated over the centuries, it remains a unique and distinctive name with deep roots in the English language and tradition.
People
Lunsford + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Lunsford as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with L
Other first names starting with L with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Lunsford: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Lunsford?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 4 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Lunsford 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 85,688,585 US residents.
Is Lunsford a common name?
We classify Lunsford as "Very Rare". It ranks above 6.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 34 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Lunsford most popular?
The single biggest year for Lunsford was 1918, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Lunsford is about 94 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 Lunsford in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Lunsford a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Lunsford 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 Lunsford still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Lunsford 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 Lunsford 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 Lunsford?
You can see how many Americans are named Lunsford on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.