Walford
From an Old English surname meaning "the ford by the wall".
Name Census estimates that about 0 living Americans carry the first name Walford. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Walford today is around 0 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Walford births was 1925 (8 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Walford. 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
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Walford. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
0
~ - Americans
Peak year
1925
8 babies that year
Average age
-
1925 SSA rank
#3,395
Tracked since 1925
Popularity
Walford: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Walford 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 Walford during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1920s | 8 | 0 | 8 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Walford
The given name Walford traces its origins to the Old English language, emerging in the early medieval period around the 7th century CE. It is a compound name formed by the fusion of two words: "wald" meaning "power" or "ruler," and "ford" referring to a shallow crossing of a river or stream. The name suggests a sense of authority and control over the passage of waterways.
In its earliest recorded appearances, Walford was predominantly found in the Anglo-Saxon regions of England, particularly in areas near rivers or fords. It was a name commonly bestowed upon those with responsibilities related to overseeing and protecting vital river crossings, reflecting the strategic importance of such locations in times of conflict and trade.
While there are no direct references to the name Walford in ancient texts or religious scriptures, its components – "wald" and "ford" – can be traced back to the Germanic roots of the Old English language, which was heavily influenced by the languages of the Anglo-Saxon settlers who arrived in Britain during the 5th and 6th centuries.
One of the earliest recorded individuals bearing the name Walford was Walford of Gloucestershire, a landowner and nobleman who lived in the late 11th century. His name appears in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086.
Another notable figure was Walford Doddridge (1585-1655), an English clergyman and theologian who served as the vicar of Shottesbrooke in Berkshire. He was a prominent Puritan minister and played a significant role in the religious debates of his time.
In the 18th century, Walford Davies (1717-1770) was a prominent Welsh Anglican clergyman and author. He served as the rector of Manordeifi in Pembrokeshire and published several works on theology and natural history.
The name Walford also gained recognition in the realm of literature through figures like Walford Graham Robertson (1866-1948), a British writer, and playwright. His plays, including "Airs Well" and "The Untamed," were widely acclaimed in the early 20th century.
Lastly, Walford Mansfield (1855-1936) was a British architect and surveyor who made significant contributions to the development of London's infrastructure and public buildings during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. His notable works include the Horniman Museum and the Whitechapel Art Gallery.
People
Walford + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Walford as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with W
Other first names starting with W with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Walford: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Walford?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 0 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Walford 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 - US residents.
Is Walford a common name?
We classify Walford as "Very Rare". It ranks above 2.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 8 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Walford most popular?
The single biggest year for Walford was 1925, when 8 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Walford is about 0 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 Walford in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Walford a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Walford 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 Walford still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Walford 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 Walford 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 have Walford as a first name?
If you just want to know how many people have the name Walford, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.