Total births
589
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.
- 589
- total births
- 1885–1973
- years on record
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 28%
- born in that 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.
- 589 total births
- 1885–1973 years on record
- 1920s peak decade
- 28% born in that decade
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
589 boys have been named Guilford since 1885, peaking in the 1920s, last recorded in 1973.
- 589
- total births
- 1885–1973
- years on record
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 28%
- born in that decade
1920s
Peak decade
28% of everyone ever named Guilford was born in this single decade.
1923
Single peak year
22 babies were named Guilford in 1923 - its busiest year on record.
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 at a glance
Last recorded 1973Peak year
1923
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1885
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
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
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 vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
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% |
North Carolina share of Guilford's total US births 0.8%
5 of 589 births nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Guilford? ▼
Since 1885, Social Security records show 589 babies named Guilford. The most recent recorded year was 1973. Its busiest year on record was 1923, with 22 births.
When was Guilford most popular? ▼
Guilford was most popular in the 1920s decade with 165 total births. The single peak year was 1923.
Where is Guilford most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Guilford are North Carolina (5 births).
How long has the name Guilford been used? ▼
Guilford has been recorded in Social Security data since 1885, spanning 89 years of data through 1973.
What names are similar to Guilford? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Guillermo, Guido, Guiseppe, Guilherme, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
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
- 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 Guilford
Nearby Names Like Guilford
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Guilford
Guillermo Boy
#831 32,074 births
Guido Boy
#10993 3,352 births
Guiseppe Boy
575 births
Guilherme Boy
#12526 522 births
Guillaume Boy
#11162 342 births
Compare Guilford side by side: Guilford vs Guillermo Guilford vs Guido Guilford vs Guiseppe
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Data Sources
Data as of July 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).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Guilford: Baby Name Since 1885 - 589 Births, Peak 1923." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/guilford. 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 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 July 2026.