Boys' name · since 1915

Ruford

Since 1915, U.S. Social Security records show 71 babies named Ruford, peaking in 1922. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.

#19,766 of 45,481
all-time among boys
71
born since 1915
1920s
peak decade

71 boys have been named Ruford since 1915, though it isn't currently a top-ranked name.

Ruford has 71 recorded births among boys since 1915, 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 1915 to 1952.

  • #19,766 of 45,481 all-time among boys
  • 71 born since 1915
  • 1920s peak decade

Data updated Aug 2026

The verdict

According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Ruford ranks #19,766 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 71 born since 1915, peaking in the 1920s.

#19,766 of 45,481
all-time among boys
71
born since 1915
1920s
peak decade
Below the archive median
All-time archive position

Ruford's 71 recorded births place it above 56.51% 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.

Ruford's usage pattern, beyond the headline number

Ruford splits its recorded history at 1922: 58% of all births land in the more recent half, 42% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1916 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1922 peak of 10 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.

Ruford popularity over time

Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1915–1952

Last recorded 1952
Peak year (1922)
10
Annual births at peak, across 38 years of records
4681012 19151916191819191921192219241927192819481952 5

Ruford by decade

1920s is the heaviest window (35 births, 49% of the file).

1920s was Ruford's strongest decade.

35 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 49% of all-time use.

Ruford births by decade

Total births in each ten-year window

births

What this shows Peak: 1920s at 35 births (49% of all-time use).

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

Frequently Asked Questions

How popular is the name Ruford? ▼
Ruford has been given to 71 babies in the U.S. since 1915, according to SSA data. Its archive ordinal is #19,766 of 45,481 among boys' names (total births, highest first). Its last appearance in the data was 1952. 10 babies were born in 1922, its single highest year.
Where does Ruford sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Ruford ranks #19,766 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 Ruford most popular? ▼
Ruford was most popular in the 1920s decade with 35 total births. The single peak year was 1922.
How long has the name Ruford been used? ▼
Ruford has been recorded in Social Security data since 1915, spanning 38 years of data through 1952.
What names are similar to Ruford? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Rufus, Rufino, Ruffus, Ruffin, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.

What to do with Ruford's data

  • Ruford's decade-level peak was the 1920s (35 total births); usage has since declined to 5 in the 1950s -- 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 Ruford

Nearby Names Like Ruford

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

Rufus Boy
#3949 36,074 births
Rufino Boy
1,650 births
Ruffus Boy
674 births
Ruffin Boy
560 births
Rufe Boy
29 births

Compare Ruford side by side: Ruford vs Rufus Ruford vs Rufino Ruford vs Ruffus

Or pick any two names to compare →

Related Names

Names with a similar number of total births

Reedy
71 births · Peak 1912
Ether
71 births · Peak 1922
Faust
71 births · Peak 1917
Strother
71 births · Peak 1919
Prospero
71 births · Peak 1928
Dorsel
71 births · Peak 1919
Vennie
71 births · Peak 1957
Swain
71 births · Peak 1973

Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span

Two nationwide peer axes for Ruford: 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, 1915–1952 (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 Ruford 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.