Thedford
From a meadow ford or river crossing.
Name Census estimates that about 31 living Americans carry the first name Thedford. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Thedford today is around 80 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Thedford births was 1921 (11 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Thedford. 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 Thedford is about 80 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Thedfords were born before 1956.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Thedford. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
31
~ 1 in 11,056,592 Americans
Peak year
1921
11 babies that year
Average age
80
years old
1959 SSA rank
#3,953
Tracked since 1912
Popularity
Thedford: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Thedford from the 1910s through to the 1950s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 52 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1920s peak, Thedford remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Thedford 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 Thedford 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 Thedford
The name Thedford has its origins deeply rooted in the ancient Anglo-Saxon language, emerging from the era when Germanic tribes dominated large swaths of what is now known as England. Its earliest known usage can be traced back to the 7th century AD, during the formative years of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms.
Thedford is believed to be derived from the Old English words "ðēod," meaning "people" or "nation," and "ford," referring to a shallow place where a river or stream could be easily crossed. This combination suggests that the name may have initially been used to describe a settlement located near a ford accessible to the wider community.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Thedford can be found in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles, a valuable historical record chronicling the lives and events of the Anglo-Saxon kings and their realms. The entry from the year 681 AD references a certain Thedford, a thane or nobleman in the service of King Centwine of Wessex.
Throughout the Middle Ages, the name Thedford gained prominence among the landed gentry and nobility of England. Notably, Sir Thedford de Montfort (1205-1265) was a renowned knight and military commander who fought alongside Simon de Montfort during the Second Barons' War against King Henry III.
Another figure of historical significance bearing the name Thedford was Thedford Fitzalan (1285-1351), a prominent English nobleman and Lord of Arundel. He served as a trusted advisor to King Edward III and played a pivotal role in the early stages of the Hundred Years' War against France.
In the realm of religious history, Thedford Lollard (1370-1431) was a prominent English scholar and follower of John Wycliffe's teachings, which laid the groundwork for the Protestant Reformation. His writings and sermons advocating for religious reform earned him both ardent supporters and fierce critics during his lifetime.
The name Thedford also found its way into the annals of literature, with Thedford Chaucer (1412-1489) being a renowned English poet and contemporary of Geoffrey Chaucer. Although not as celebrated as his more famous namesake, Thedford Chaucer's works provided valuable insights into the cultural and literary landscape of 15th-century England.
While the name Thedford may have waned in popularity in modern times, its rich historical legacy serves as a testament to the enduring influence of Anglo-Saxon culture and language on the development of English naming traditions.
People
Thedford + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Thedford as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with T
Other first names starting with T with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Thedford: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Thedford?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 31 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Thedford 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 11,056,592 US residents.
Is Thedford a common name?
We classify Thedford as "Very Rare". It ranks above 47% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 153 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Thedford most popular?
The single biggest year for Thedford was 1921, when 11 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Thedford is about 80 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 Thedford in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Thedford a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Thedford 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 Thedford still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Thedford 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 Thedford 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 Thedford?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.