Boys' name · since 1896
Rayford
5,516 babies named Rayford in U.S. Social Security records since 1896, with the highest year being 1937. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #1,682 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #12,055 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 5,516
- born since 1896
- 1940s
- peak decade
Yes -- Rayford is the #12055 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 5,516 recorded since 1896.
Social Security Administration records show Rayford recorded 5,516 times among boys since 1896, holding rank #12055 nationally today, ahead of 13% of boys, peaking in the 1940s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1896 to 2025.
- #1,682 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #12,055 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 5,516 born since 1896
- 1940s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Rayford ranks #1,682 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #12,055 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 5,516 born since 1896, peaking in the 1940s.
- #1,682 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #12,055 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 5,516
- born since 1896
- 1940s
- peak decade
Rayford's 5,516 recorded births place it above 96.3% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
15 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by Texas.
How Rayford compares
5,516 Top 12% higher than 88% 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
Rayford's all-time total is 15x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Rayford | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 5,516 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 124 | 34 | 22,252 |
Rayford's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Rayford's SSA record in two at 1959 and the more recent half accounts for 28% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 72%, consistent with a name more common in the past than in recent years. Its calmest year was 1901, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1937 peak of 124, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Rayford popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1896–2025
- Peak year (1937)
- 124
- Annual births at peak, across 130 years of records
Rayford by decade
1940s is the heaviest window (948 births, 17% of the file).
1940s was Rayford's strongest decade.
948 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 17% of all-time use.
Rayford births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1890s 8
1890s
8 births
- 1900s 48
1900s
48 births
- 1910s 360
1910s
360 births
- 1920s
1920s
841 births
- 1930s
1930s
923 births
- 1940s
1940s
948 births
- 1950s
1950s
892 births
- 1960s
1960s
641 births
- 1970s 348
1970s
348 births
- 1980s 248
1980s
248 births
- 1990s 131
1990s
131 births
- 2000s 76
2000s
76 births
- 2010s 35
2010s
35 births
- 2020s 17
2020s
17 births
What this shows Peak: 1940s at 948 births (17% of all-time use).
How Rayford 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 Rayford's total volume
Rayford by state
Where Rayford concentrates geographically, total births since 1896
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 870 | 15.8% |
| #2 | Alabama | | 729 | 13.2% |
| #3 | Mississippi | | 439 | 8.0% |
| #4 | North Carolina | | 436 | 7.9% |
| #5 | Georgia | | 408 | 7.4% |
| #6 | South Carolina | | 220 | 4.0% |
| #7 | Louisiana | | 211 | 3.8% |
| #8 | Tennessee | | 47 | 0.9% |
870 of 5,516 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 15 reporting states.
Rayford appears in 15 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Rayford? ▼
Where does Rayford sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Rayford most popular? ▼
Where is Rayford most popular? ▼
How long has the name Rayford been used? ▼
What names are similar to Rayford? ▼
What to do with Rayford's data
- Rayford's decade-level peak was the 1940s (948 total births); usage has since declined to 17 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Rayfords (870 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Rayford
Nearby Names Like Rayford
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Rayford
Compare Rayford side by side: Rayford vs Raymond Rayford vs Ray Rayford vs Raymundo
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Rayford
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Rayford: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1937)
Similar record span (~129 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, 1896–2025 (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 Rayford 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.