Boys' name · since 1885
Guilford
Guilford has 589 recorded births since 1885 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1923 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #7,150 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 589
- born since 1885
- 1920s
- peak decade
Guilford sits outside today's top ranks for boys, with 589 recorded since 1885.
Guilford has 589 recorded births among boys since 1885, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used boys names, busiest in the 1920s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1885 to 1973.
- #7,150 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- 589 born since 1885
- 1920s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Guilford ranks #7,150 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 589 born since 1885, peaking in the 1920s.
- #7,150 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 589
- born since 1885
- 1920s
- peak decade
Guilford's 589 recorded births place it above 84.27% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 1 jurisdictions, led by North Carolina.
Guilford's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Guilford's full recorded timeline at 1935, 39% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 61% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1885, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1923 peak of 22 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Guilford popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1885–1973
- Peak year (1923)
- 22
- Annual births at peak, across 89 years of records
Guilford by decade
1920s is the heaviest window (165 births, 28% of the file).
1920s was Guilford's strongest decade.
165 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 28% of all-time use.
Guilford births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 5
1880s
5 births
- 1890s 8
1890s
8 births
- 1900s 5
1900s
5 births
- 1910s
1910s
130 births
- 1920s
1920s
165 births
- 1930s
1930s
100 births
- 1940s
1940s
88 births
- 1950s
1950s
67 births
- 1960s 16
1960s
16 births
- 1970s 5
1970s
5 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 165 births (28% of all-time use).
How Guilford 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 Guilford's total volume
Guilford by state
Where Guilford concentrates geographically, total births since 1885
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | North Carolina | | 5 | 0.8% |
5 of 589 births nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
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When was Guilford most popular? ▼
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What to do with Guilford's data
- Guilford's decade-level peak was the 1920s (165 total births); usage has since declined to 5 in the 1970s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- North Carolina records the most Guilfords (5 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. North Carolina names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Guilford
Nearby Names Like Guilford
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Guilford
Compare Guilford side by side: Guilford vs Guillermo Guilford vs Guido Guilford vs Guiseppe
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Guilford: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1923)
Similar record span (~88 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, 1885–1973 (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 Guilford 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.