Total births
10,854
Boys' name · since 1880
Buford
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 10,854 babies named Buford, peaking in 1921. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- 10,854
- total births
- 1880–2025
- years on record
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 25%
- born in that decade
Buford is not among the current top-ranked boys names; 10,854 have been recorded since 1880.
Social Security Administration records show Buford recorded 10,854 times among boys since 1880, 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 1880 to 2025.
- 10,854 total births
- 1880–2025 years on record
- 1920s peak decade
- 25% born in that decade
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
10,854 boys have been named Buford since 1880, peaking in the 1920s, last recorded in 2025.
- 10,854
- total births
- 1880–2025
- years on record
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 25%
- born in that decade
1920s
Peak decade
25% of everyone ever named Buford was born in this single decade.
1921
Single peak year
334 babies were named Buford in 1921 - its busiest year on record.
Buford's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Buford splits its recorded history at 1945: 28% of all births land in the more recent half, 72% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 2012 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1921 peak of 334 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Buford at a glance
Last recorded 2025Peak year
1921
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1880
Buford popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1921)
- 334
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Buford popularity over time - girls
110 total births recorded since 1908 (Buford as girls' name)
Buford by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Buford's strongest decade.
2,759 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 25% of all-time use.
Buford births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 69
1880s
69 births
- 1890s 156
1890s
156 births
- 1900s 277
1900s
277 births
- 1910s
1910s
1,737 births
- 1920s
1920s
2,759 births
- 1930s
1930s
1,935 births
- 1940s
1940s
1,652 births
- 1950s 963
1950s
963 births
- 1960s 587
1960s
587 births
- 1970s 375
1970s
375 births
- 1980s 203
1980s
203 births
- 1990s 88
1990s
88 births
- 2000s 32
2000s
32 births
- 2010s 10
2010s
10 births
- 2020s 11
2020s
11 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 2,759 births (25% of all-time use).
How Buford 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 Buford's total volume
Buford vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Buford by state
Where Buford concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Tennessee | | 1,449 | 13.3% |
| #2 | Texas | | 926 | 8.5% |
| #3 | Alabama | | 899 | 8.3% |
| #4 | Georgia | | 838 | 7.7% |
| #5 | Kentucky | | 710 | 6.5% |
| #6 | Virginia | | 597 | 5.5% |
| #7 | Mississippi | | 538 | 5.0% |
| #8 | Arkansas | | 332 | 3.1% |
Tennessee share of Buford's total US births 13.3%
Even split
1,449 of 10,854 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 21 reporting states.
Buford appears in 21 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Buford? ▼
10,854 babies have been named Buford since 1880. It was last recorded in 2025. The peak year was 1921 with 334 births.
When was Buford most popular? ▼
Buford was most popular in the 1920s decade with 2,759 total births. The single peak year was 1921.
Where is Buford most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Buford are Tennessee (1,449 births), Texas (926 births), Alabama (899 births).
How long has the name Buford been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Buford since 1880 -- 146 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Buford? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Bufford, Buff, Bufard, Buffy. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Buford's data
- Buford's decade-level peak was the 1920s (2,759 total births); usage has since declined to 11 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Tennessee records the most Bufords (1,449 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Tennessee 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 Buford
Nearby Names Like Buford
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Buford
Compare Buford side by side: Buford vs Bufford Buford vs Buff Buford vs Bufard
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Daren #2845
10,855 births · Peak 1965
Gregorio #2596
10,842 births · Peak 1993
Ambrose #739
10,868 births · Peak 2021
Cordell #2138
10,840 births · Peak 1998
Claud
10,893 births · Peak 1919
Cortez #1998
10,899 births · Peak 1990
Boston #627
10,901 births · Peak 2014
Soren #571
10,946 births · Peak 2025
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, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Buford: Baby Name Since 1880 - 10,854 Births, Peak 1921." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/buford. 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 Buford 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.