Boys' name · since 1916

Raford

Since 1916, U.S. Social Security records show 170 babies named Raford, peaking in 1935. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.

#13,960 of 45,481
all-time among boys
170
born since 1916
1930s
peak decade

Raford sits outside today's top ranks for boys, with 170 recorded since 1916.

Social Security Administration records show Raford recorded 170 times among boys since 1916, though it doesn't currently rank among the most-used boys names, peaking in the 1930s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1916 to 1982.

  • #13,960 of 45,481 all-time among boys
  • 170 born since 1916
  • 1930s peak decade

Data updated Aug 2026

The verdict

According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Raford ranks #13,960 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 170 born since 1916, peaking in the 1930s.

#13,960 of 45,481
all-time among boys
170
born since 1916
1930s
peak decade
Below the archive median
All-time archive position

Raford's 170 recorded births place it above 69.28% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.

National only
State-record footprint

No state rows cleared SSA’s public reporting threshold for this name.

Raford's usage pattern, beyond the headline number

Raford splits its recorded history at 1937: 48% of all births land in the more recent half, 52% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1918 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1935 peak of 10 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.

Raford popularity over time

Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1916–1982

Last recorded 1982
Peak year (1935)
10
Annual births at peak, across 67 years of records
4681012 19161925193119361942195019621982 5

Raford by decade

1930s is the heaviest window (52 births, 31% of the file).

1930s was Raford's strongest decade.

52 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 31% of all-time use.

Raford births by decade

Total births in each ten-year window

births

What this shows Peak: 1930s at 52 births (31% of all-time use).

Source U.S. Social Security Administration · Baby Names As of August 2026

Frequently Asked Questions

How popular is the name Raford? ▼
Since 1916, Social Security records show 170 babies named Raford. Across the full SSA archive it ranks #13,960 of 45,481 boys' names by total births. The most recent recorded year was 1982. Its busiest year on record was 1935, with 10 births.
Where does Raford sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Raford ranks #13,960 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). All-time ordinal matches browse popularity (total births DESC); the current ordinal uses the null SSA file. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
When was Raford most popular? ▼
Raford was most popular in the 1930s decade with 52 total births. The single peak year was 1935.
How long has the name Raford been used? ▼
Raford has been recorded in Social Security data since 1916, spanning 67 years of data through 1982.
What names are similar to Raford? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Rafael, Rafe, Raffaele, Rafeal, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.

What to do with Raford's data

  • Raford's decade-level peak was the 1930s (52 total births); usage has since declined to 5 in the 1980s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.

Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.

Keep exploring Raford

Nearby Names Like Raford

Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Raford

Rafael Boy
#218 89,379 births
Rafe Boy
#1165 2,935 births
Raffaele Boy
#4872 1,079 births
Rafeal Boy
925 births
Raffi Boy
#5663 839 births

Compare Raford side by side: Raford vs Rafael Raford vs Rafe Raford vs Raffaele

Or pick any two names to compare →

Related Names

Names with a similar number of total births

Hilmar
170 births · Peak 1917
Numa #12098
170 births · Peak 1915
Lenis
170 births · Peak 1922
Wildon
170 births · Peak 1920
Jamas
170 births · Peak 1970
Sten
170 births · Peak 1965
Krist
170 births · Peak 1972
Deveron
170 births · Peak 1992

Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span

Two nationwide peer axes for Raford: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.

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, 1916–1982 (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 Raford 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.