Total births
366
Boys' name · since 1915
Benford
366 babies named Benford in U.S. Social Security records since 1915, with the highest year being 1927. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- 366
- total births
- 1915–1988
- years on record
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 22%
- born in that decade
366 boys have been named Benford since 1915, though it isn't currently a top-ranked name.
Social Security Administration records show Benford recorded 366 times among boys since 1915, though it doesn't currently rank among the most-used boys names, peaking in the 1920s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1915 to 1988.
- 366 total births
- 1915–1988 years on record
- 1920s peak decade
- 22% born in that decade
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
366 boys have been named Benford since 1915, peaking in the 1920s, last recorded in 1988.
- 366
- total births
- 1915–1988
- years on record
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 22%
- born in that decade
1920s
Peak decade
22% of everyone ever named Benford was born in this single decade.
1927
Single peak year
12 babies were named Benford in 1927 - its busiest year on record.
Benford's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Benford splits its recorded history at 1943: 44% of all births land in the more recent half, 56% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1920 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1927 peak of 12 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Benford at a glance
Last recorded 1988Peak year
1927
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1915
Benford popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1915–1988
- Peak year (1927)
- 12
- Annual births at peak, across 74 years of records
Benford by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Benford's strongest decade.
80 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 22% of all-time use.
Benford births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s
1910s
44 births
- 1920s
1920s
80 births
- 1930s
1930s
53 births
- 1940s
1940s
79 births
- 1950s
1950s
52 births
- 1960s
1960s
36 births
- 1970s 17
1970s
17 births
- 1980s 5
1980s
5 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 80 births (22% of all-time use).
Benford by state
Where Benford concentrates geographically, total births since 1915
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Mississippi | | 5 | 1.4% |
Mississippi share of Benford's total US births 1.4%
5 of 366 births nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Benford? ▼
Benford has been given to 366 babies in the U.S. since 1915, according to SSA data. Its last appearance in the data was 1988. 12 babies were born in 1927, its single highest year.
When was Benford most popular? ▼
Benford was most popular in the 1920s decade with 80 total births. The single peak year was 1927.
Where is Benford most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Benford are Mississippi (5 births).
How long has the name Benford been used? ▼
Benford has been recorded in Social Security data since 1915, spanning 74 years of data through 1988.
What names are similar to Benford? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Benjamin, Ben, Bennett, Bentley, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Benford's data
- Benford's decade-level peak was the 1920s (80 total births); usage has since declined to 5 in the 1980s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Mississippi records the most Benfords (5 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Mississippi names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Benford
Nearby Names Like Benford
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Benford
Benjamin Boy
#11 826,830 births
Ben Boy
#800 85,349 births
Bennett Boy
#60 72,514 births
Bentley Boy
#201 60,027 births
Bennie Boy
#2502 52,753 births
Compare Benford side by side: Benford vs Benjamin Benford vs Ben Benford vs Bennett
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Data Sources
Data as of June 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, 1915–1988 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Benford: Baby Name Since 1915 - 366 Births, Peak 1927." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/benford. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
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 Benford 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 June 2026.