Find out how popular the first name Taft has been for the last 49 years (from 1975 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Popularity of Taft by gender

Based on the last 49 years of data, Taft is exclusively a male name.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 10 male babies and 0 female babies born with the name Taft.

The history of the first name Taft

The name Taft is believed to have originated from Old English, derived from the word "toft," which referred to a homestead or a small plot of land. This name can be traced back to the Anglo-Saxon period in England, around the 5th to 11th centuries.

During the Middle Ages, the name Taft was primarily used as a surname in England, often indicating a person's connection to a particular piece of land or homestead. It was not uncommon for surnames to later become adopted as given names, and this may have been the case with Taft.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Taft can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. In this document, there are references to individuals with the surname Taft or similar spellings, such as Toft.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Taft as their first name. One of the most prominent figures was William Howard Taft, the 27th President of the United States, born in 1857 and died in 1930. He was also the 10th Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court, serving from 1921 to 1930.

Another historical figure with the name Taft was Howard Taft, an American lawyer and politician who served as the 32nd Governor of Rhode Island from 1888 to 1889. He was born in 1862 and died in 1925.

In the literary world, Taft Armistead was an American writer and poet, best known for his collection of poems titled "The Quietist." He was born in 1864 and died in 1939.

Taft Reed was an American baseball player who played in the Major League Baseball from 1910 to 1920. He was born in 1888 and died in 1949.

Taft Young was a British actor and director, active in the early 20th century. He was born in 1885 and died in 1936.

While the name Taft may have its roots in Old English and was initially used as a surname, it has since been adopted as a given name and has been borne by several notable individuals throughout history, spanning various fields such as politics, literature, sports, and the arts.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Taft was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Taft, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!