Boys' name · since 1885
Radford
1,204 babies named Radford in U.S. Social Security records since 1885, with the highest year being 1935. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #4,575 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #10,727 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 1,204
- born since 1885
- 1920s
- peak decade
Yes -- Radford is the #10727 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 1,204 recorded since 1885.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Radford has been recorded 1,204 times among boys since 1885, currently ranked #10727 nationally and more common than 23% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 1920s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1885 to 2025.
- #4,575 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #10,727 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 1,204 born since 1885
- 1920s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Radford ranks #4,575 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #10,727 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 1,204 born since 1885, peaking in the 1920s.
- #4,575 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #10,727 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 1,204
- born since 1885
- 1920s
- peak decade
Radford's 1,204 recorded births place it above 89.94% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
6 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by Alabama.
How Radford compares
1,204 Top 29% higher than 71% 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
Radford's all-time total is 3x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Radford | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,204 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 26 | 34 | 22,252 |
Radford's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Radford's SSA record in two at 1953 and the more recent half accounts for 44% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 56%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 1885, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1935 peak of 26, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Radford popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1885–2025
- Peak year (1935)
- 26
- Annual births at peak, across 141 years of records
Radford by decade
1920s is the heaviest window (182 births, 15% of the file).
1920s was Radford's strongest decade.
182 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 15% of all-time use.
Radford births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 5
1880s
5 births
- 1890s 10
1890s
10 births
- 1900s 15
1900s
15 births
- 1910s
1910s
113 births
- 1920s
1920s
182 births
- 1930s
1930s
150 births
- 1940s
1940s
151 births
- 1950s
1950s
178 births
- 1960s
1960s
149 births
- 1970s
1970s
87 births
- 1980s 48
1980s
48 births
- 1990s 27
1990s
27 births
- 2010s 58
2010s
58 births
- 2020s 31
2020s
31 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 182 births (15% of all-time use).
How Radford 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 Radford's total volume
Radford by state
Where Radford concentrates geographically, total births since 1885
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Alabama | | 16 | 1.3% |
| #2 | Hawaii | | 10 | 0.8% |
| #3 | North Carolina | | 6 | 0.5% |
| #4 | Tennessee | | 6 | 0.5% |
| #5 | Kentucky | | 5 | 0.4% |
| #6 | Virginia | | 5 | 0.4% |
16 of 1,204 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 6 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Radford? ▼
Where does Radford sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Radford most popular? ▼
Where is Radford most popular? ▼
How long has the name Radford been used? ▼
What names are similar to Radford? ▼
What to do with Radford's data
- Radford's decade-level peak was the 1920s (182 total births); usage has since declined to 31 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Alabama records the most Radfords (16 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 Radford
Nearby Names Like Radford
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Radford
Compare Radford side by side: Radford vs Radley Radford vs Radames Radford vs Rad
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Radford
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Radford: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1935)
Similar record span (~140 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, 1885–2025 (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 Radford 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.