Reford
A masculine given name of English origin, potentially derived from "red ford".
Name Census estimates that about 28 living Americans carry the first name Reford. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Reford today is around 83 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Reford births was 1916 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Reford. 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 Reford is about 83 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Refords were born before 1953.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Reford. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
28
~ 1 in 12,241,226 Americans
Peak year
1916
7 babies that year
Average age
83
years old
1954 SSA rank
#4,253
Tracked since 1914
Popularity
Reford: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Reford from the 1910s through to the 1950s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1930s, with 37 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1930s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Reford 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 Reford 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 Reford
The name Reford has its origins in the Old English language, and it is believed to have emerged during the Anglo-Saxon period, which spanned from the 5th to the 11th century. The name is derived from the Old English words "ræd" and "ford," which together mean "red ford" or "crossing over a red stream."
This name was likely given to individuals who lived near a ford or river crossing with reddish-colored water or soil. It is possible that the name was initially a descriptive surname that later evolved into a given name. The earliest recorded instances of the name Reford can be traced back to the 11th century in various Anglo-Saxon chronicles and records.
One of the earliest known individuals with the name Reford was a landowner and nobleman who lived in the English county of Worcestershire in the late 11th century. His name was Reford de Moltone, and he was mentioned in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086.
Another notable figure with the name Reford was a 12th-century monk and scholar from the Benedictine monastery of St. Albans in Hertfordshire, England. His name was Reford of St. Albans, and he was known for his writings on theology and philosophy. He lived from approximately 1115 to 1190.
In the 13th century, there was a renowned architect and stonemason named Reford de Cementarius, who was responsible for the construction of several churches and cathedrals in England, including parts of the Canterbury Cathedral. He was born around 1220 and worked on various building projects throughout his life.
During the 14th century, a knight named Sir Reford de Warenne fought in the Hundred Years' War between England and France. He was born in 1310 and participated in several notable battles, including the Battle of Crécy in 1346 and the Siege of Calais in 1347.
In the 15th century, there was a prominent merchant and trader from Bristol, England, named Reford Canynges. He was born in 1460 and made a significant fortune through his trading ventures, which allowed him to become a wealthy patron of the arts and a benefactor of several churches and charitable organizations in Bristol.
While the name Reford is not as common today as it once was, it has a rich historical background that reflects the cultural influences and linguistic developments of the Anglo-Saxon period in England. The name's connection to geographic features and its presence in various historical records and accounts provide insights into the lives and contributions of individuals who bore this name throughout the centuries.
People
Reford + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Reford as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with R
Other first names starting with R with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Reford: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Reford?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 28 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Reford 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 12,241,226 US residents.
Is Reford a common name?
We classify Reford as "Very Rare". It ranks above 45.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 116 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Reford most popular?
The single biggest year for Reford was 1916, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Reford is about 83 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 Reford in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Reford a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Reford 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 Reford still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Reford 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 Reford 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 people are named Reford?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.