Boys' name · since 1880
Milford
8,198 babies named Milford in U.S. Social Security records since 1880, with the highest year being 1921. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #1,356 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 8,198
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
Milford sits outside today's top ranks for boys, with 8,198 recorded since 1880.
Social Security Administration records show Milford recorded 8,198 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 2023.
- #1,356 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- 8,198 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Milford ranks #1,356 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 8,198 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #1,356 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 8,198
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
Milford's 8,198 recorded births place it above 97.01% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
31 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by Alabama.
Milford's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Milford splits its recorded history at 1938: 35% of all births land in the more recent half, 65% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 1891 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1921 peak of 234 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Milford popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2023
- Peak year (1921)
- 234
- Annual births at peak, across 144 years of records
Milford popularity over time - girls
13 total births recorded since 1923 (Milford as girls' name)
Milford by decade
1920s is the heaviest window (2,172 births, 26% of the file).
1920s was Milford's strongest decade.
2,172 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 26% of all-time use.
Milford births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 93
1880s
93 births
- 1890s 133
1890s
133 births
- 1900s 226
1900s
226 births
- 1910s
1910s
1,487 births
- 1920s
1920s
2,172 births
- 1930s
1930s
1,472 births
- 1940s
1940s
1,131 births
- 1950s 701
1950s
701 births
- 1960s 415
1960s
415 births
- 1970s 211
1970s
211 births
- 1980s 110
1980s
110 births
- 1990s 35
1990s
35 births
- 2000s 6
2000s
6 births
- 2020s 6
2020s
6 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 2,172 births (26% of all-time use).
How Milford 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 Milford's total volume
Milford by state
Where Milford concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Alabama | | 418 | 5.1% |
| #2 | New York | | 405 | 4.9% |
| #3 | Pennsylvania | | 356 | 4.3% |
| #4 | Missouri | | 340 | 4.1% |
| #5 | Texas | | 338 | 4.1% |
| #6 | Kentucky | | 295 | 3.6% |
| #7 | Michigan | | 262 | 3.2% |
| #8 | North Carolina | | 235 | 2.9% |
418 of 8,198 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 31 reporting states.
Milford appears in 31 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Milford? ▼
Where does Milford sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Milford most popular? ▼
Where is Milford most popular? ▼
How long has the name Milford been used? ▼
What names are similar to Milford? ▼
What to do with Milford's data
- Milford's decade-level peak was the 1920s (2,172 total births); usage has since declined to 6 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Alabama records the most Milfords (418 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Alabama names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Milford
Nearby Names Like Milford
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Milford
Compare Milford side by side: Milford vs Miles Milford vs Milton Milford vs Milo
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Milford: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1921)
Similar record span (~143 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, 1880–2023 (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 Milford 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.