Boys' name · since 1880
Bedford
1,240 babies named Bedford in U.S. Social Security records since 1880, with the highest year being 1924. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #4,473 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 1,240
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
Bedford is not among the current top-ranked boys names; 1,240 have been recorded since 1880.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Bedford has been recorded 1,240 times among boys since 1880, though it is not among the currently most-used boys names, with its heaviest use in the 1920s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2022.
- #4,473 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- 1,240 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Bedford ranks #4,473 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 1,240 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #4,473 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 1,240
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
Bedford's 1,240 recorded births place it above 90.15% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
6 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by Tennessee.
Bedford's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Bedford splits its recorded history at 1934: 43% of all births land in the more recent half, 57% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1881 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1924 peak of 41 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Bedford popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2022
- Peak year (1924)
- 41
- Annual births at peak, across 143 years of records
Bedford by decade
1920s is the heaviest window (305 births, 25% of the file).
1920s was Bedford's strongest decade.
305 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 25% of all-time use.
Bedford births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 49
1880s
49 births
- 1890s 29
1890s
29 births
- 1900s 54
1900s
54 births
- 1910s
1910s
181 births
- 1920s
1920s
305 births
- 1930s
1930s
201 births
- 1940s
1940s
158 births
- 1950s
1950s
122 births
- 1960s 82
1960s
82 births
- 1970s 24
1970s
24 births
- 1980s 20
1980s
20 births
- 1990s 5
1990s
5 births
- 2010s 5
2010s
5 births
- 2020s 5
2020s
5 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 305 births (25% of all-time use).
How Bedford compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Bedford's total volume
Bedford by state
Where Bedford concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Tennessee | | 99 | 8.0% |
| #2 | Kentucky | | 15 | 1.2% |
| #3 | Mississippi | | 11 | 0.9% |
| #4 | Alabama | | 8 | 0.6% |
| #5 | Texas | | 8 | 0.6% |
| #6 | Oklahoma | | 6 | 0.5% |
99 of 1,240 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 6 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Bedford? ▼
Where does Bedford sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Bedford most popular? ▼
Where is Bedford most popular? ▼
How long has the name Bedford been used? ▼
What to do with Bedford's data
- Bedford's decade-level peak was the 1920s (305 total births); usage has since declined to 5 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Tennessee records the most Bedfords (99 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Tennessee names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Bedford
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Bedford: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1924)
Similar record span (~142 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2022 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Bedford draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.