Rockford
A combination name referring to a rocky ford (shallow river crossing).
Name Census estimates that about 602 living Americans carry the first name Rockford. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Rockford today is around 39 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Rockford births was 1979 (20 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Rockford. 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
602
~ 1 in 569,359 Americans
Peak year
1979
20 babies that year
Average age
39
years old
2024 SSA rank
#12,011
Tracked since 1917
Popularity
Rockford: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Rockford from the 1910s through to the 2020s, spanning 11 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 131 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Rockford remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Rockford 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 Rockford 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 Rockford
The given name Rockford has its origins in the Middle English language, derived from the Old English words "rocc" meaning rock or boulder, and "ford" meaning a shallow place where a river can be crossed. This combination suggests that the name was initially used to refer to someone who lived near a rocky river crossing or ford.
During the Anglo-Saxon era in Britain, which lasted from the 5th to the 11th centuries, the name Rockford was likely used as a descriptive term or a surname to identify individuals residing in such locations. The earliest recorded instance of the name can be traced back to the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086.
As a given name, Rockford gained popularity in the 12th and 13th centuries, particularly in the regions of Northumbria and East Anglia. It was often associated with individuals involved in agriculture, mining, or other occupations related to the land and natural resources.
One notable historical figure bearing the name Rockford was Sir Rockford de Burgh, a 13th-century knight and landowner from Lincolnshire, England. He played a significant role in the Second Barons' War against King Henry III in the mid-1200s.
Another historically significant bearer of the name was Rockford the Bald, a 9th-century monk and scholar from the Kingdom of Mercia. He was renowned for his contributions to the preservation of ancient manuscripts and the promotion of education in monastic communities.
In the 15th century, Rockford Wycliffe, a prominent English scholar and reformer, gained recognition for his efforts to translate the Bible into the vernacular English language. His work paved the way for the eventual widespread distribution of the Bible among the common people.
During the Tudor period, Rockford Raleigh, a courtier and explorer, accompanied Sir Walter Raleigh on several expeditions to the Americas. He is believed to have played a crucial role in establishing the first English settlement on Roanoke Island in present-day North Carolina.
Another noteworthy figure was Rockford Cromwell, a 17th-century Puritan soldier and statesman who served as a general in the English Civil War under Oliver Cromwell. He was instrumental in the establishment of the Commonwealth of England and the temporary abolition of the monarchy.
People
Rockford + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Rockford 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
Rockford: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Rockford?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 602 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Rockford 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 569,359 US residents.
Is Rockford a common name?
We classify Rockford as "Very Rare". It ranks above 86.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 699 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Rockford most popular?
The single biggest year for Rockford was 1979, when 20 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Rockford is about 39 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Rockford a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Rockford 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.