Boys' name · since 1880
Bradford
Bradford has 32,075 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1953 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #657 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #3,514 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 32,075
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
32,075 babies have been named Bradford since 1880, making it today's #3514 boys' name.
Social Security Administration records show Bradford recorded 32,075 times among boys since 1880, holding rank #3514 nationally today, ahead of 75% of boys, peaking in the 1950s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #657 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #3,514 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 32,075 born since 1880
- 1950s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Bradford ranks #657 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #3,514 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 32,075 born since 1880, peaking in the 1950s.
- #657 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #3,514 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 32,075
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
Bradford's 32,075 recorded births place it above 98.55% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
48 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by Massachusetts.
How Bradford compares
32,075 Top 5% higher than 95% of 13,930 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Bradford's all-time total is 87x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Bradford | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 32,075 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 779 | 34 | 22,252 |
Bradford's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Bradford's SSA record in two at 1958 and the more recent half accounts for 68% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 32%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1880, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1953 peak of 779, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Bradford popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1953)
- 779
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Bradford popularity over time - girls
39 total births recorded since 1955 (Bradford as girls' name)
Bradford by decade
1950s is the heaviest window (6,693 births, 21% of the file).
1950s was Bradford's strongest decade.
6,693 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 21% of all-time use.
Bradford births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 20
1880s
20 births
- 1890s 59
1890s
59 births
- 1900s 86
1900s
86 births
- 1910s 513
1910s
513 births
- 1920s 818
1920s
818 births
- 1930s 998
1930s
998 births
- 1940s 2,418
1940s
2,418 births
- 1950s
1950s
6,693 births
- 1960s
1960s
5,794 births
- 1970s
1970s
5,710 births
- 1980s
1980s
4,745 births
- 1990s 2,292
1990s
2,292 births
- 2000s 976
2000s
976 births
- 2010s 689
2010s
689 births
- 2020s 264
2020s
264 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 6,693 births (21% of all-time use).
How Bradford 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 Bradford's total volume
Bradford by state
Where Bradford concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Massachusetts | | 2,733 | 8.5% |
| #2 | California | | 2,714 | 8.5% |
| #3 | New York | | 1,727 | 5.4% |
| #4 | Texas | | 1,364 | 4.3% |
| #5 | Ohio | | 1,351 | 4.2% |
| #6 | Pennsylvania | | 1,242 | 3.9% |
| #7 | Michigan | | 1,188 | 3.7% |
| #8 | Illinois | | 1,151 | 3.6% |
2,733 of 32,075 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 48 reporting states.
Bradford appears in 48 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Bradford? ▼
Where does Bradford sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Bradford most popular? ▼
Where is Bradford most popular? ▼
How long has the name Bradford been used? ▼
What names are similar to Bradford? ▼
What to do with Bradford's data
- Bradford's decade-level peak was the 1950s (6,693 total births); usage has since declined to 264 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Massachusetts records the most Bradfords (2,733 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Massachusetts names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Bradford
Nearby Names Like Bradford
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Bradford
Compare Bradford side by side: Bradford vs Brandon Bradford vs Bradley Bradford vs Brayden
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Bradford
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Bradford: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1953)
Similar record span (~145 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, 1880–2025 (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 Bradford 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.