Total births
7,727
Boys' name · since 1880
Stanford
Stanford has 7,727 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1954 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #7266
- among boys today
- 7,727
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 49%
- more common than other boys
Stanford currently ranks #7266 among boys' names in America, with 7,727 babies recorded since 1880.
Stanford has 7,727 recorded births among boys since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #7266 as of the latest data, more common than 49% of boys, busiest in the 1950s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #7266 among boys today
- 7,727 born since 1880
- 1950s peak decade
- 49% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Stanford is currently the #7266 boys' name in America, more common than 49% of boys - 7,727 born since 1880, peaking in the 1950s.
- #7266
- among boys today
- 7,727
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 49%
- more common than other boys
Stanford vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#7266
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 49% of names given to boys today.
1950s
Peak decade
15% of everyone ever named Stanford was born in this single decade.
1954
Single peak year
135 babies were named Stanford in 1954 - its busiest year on record.
How Stanford compares
7,727 Top 10% higher than 90% of 14,294 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
Stanford's all-time total is 21x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Stanford | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 7,727 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 135 | 23 | 22,252 |
Stanford's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Stanford splits its recorded history at 1960: 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 1901 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1954 peak of 135 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Stanford at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1954
Current rank
#7,266
Active since
1880
Stanford popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1954)
- 135
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Stanford by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1950s was Stanford's strongest decade.
1,191 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 15% of all-time use.
Stanford births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 12
1880s
12 births
- 1890s 29
1890s
29 births
- 1900s 104
1900s
104 births
- 1910s
1910s
662 births
- 1920s
1920s
1,055 births
- 1930s
1930s
960 births
- 1940s
1940s
986 births
- 1950s
1950s
1,191 births
- 1960s
1960s
936 births
- 1970s
1970s
585 births
- 1980s 456
1980s
456 births
- 1990s 334
1990s
334 births
- 2000s 185
2000s
185 births
- 2010s 149
2010s
149 births
- 2020s 83
2020s
83 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 1,191 births (15% of all-time use).
How Stanford 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 Stanford's total volume
Stanford vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Stanford by state
Where Stanford concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Pennsylvania | | 459 | 5.9% |
| #2 | California | | 401 | 5.2% |
| #3 | New York | | 248 | 3.2% |
| #4 | Ohio | | 199 | 2.6% |
| #5 | Louisiana | | 192 | 2.5% |
| #6 | Illinois | | 180 | 2.3% |
| #7 | Georgia | | 134 | 1.7% |
| #8 | Texas | | 129 | 1.7% |
Pennsylvania share of Stanford's total US births 5.9%
Even split
459 of 7,727 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 28 reporting states.
Stanford appears in 28 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Stanford? ▼
Since 1880, Social Security records show 7,727 babies named Stanford. Today it holds rank #7266 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 1954, with 135 births.
When was Stanford most popular? ▼
Stanford was most popular in the 1950s decade with 1,191 total births. The single peak year was 1954.
Where is Stanford most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Stanford are Pennsylvania (459 births), California (401 births), New York (248 births).
How long has the name Stanford been used? ▼
Stanford has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 146 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Stanford? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Stanley, Stacy, Stacey, Stan, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Stanford's data
- Stanford's decade-level peak was the 1950s (1,191 total births); usage has since declined to 83 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Pennsylvania records the most Stanfords (459 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Pennsylvania names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Stanford
Nearby Names Like Stanford
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Stanford
Stanley Boy
#869 301,425 births
Stacy Boy
#10954 22,257 births
Stacey Boy
#6227 13,982 births
Stan Boy
#8374 8,480 births
Stanton Boy
#4709 6,738 births
Compare Stanford side by side: Stanford vs Stanley Stanford vs Stacy Stanford vs Stacey
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Stanford
Data Sources
Data as of June 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, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Stanford: #7266 Boys' Name - 7,727 Births, Peak 1954." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/stanford. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
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 Stanford 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 June 2026.