Boys' name · since 1910
Welford
487 babies named Welford in U.S. Social Security records since 1910, with the highest year being 1925. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #8,026 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 487
- born since 1910
- 1920s
- peak decade
Welford sits outside today's top ranks for boys, with 487 recorded since 1910.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Welford has been recorded 487 times among boys since 1910, though it is not among the currently most-used boys names, 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 1910 to 1984.
- #8,026 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- 487 born since 1910
- 1920s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Welford ranks #8,026 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 487 born since 1910, peaking in the 1920s.
- #8,026 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 487
- born since 1910
- 1920s
- peak decade
Welford's 487 recorded births place it above 82.35% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 1 jurisdictions, led by Virginia.
Welford's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Welford's SSA record in two at 1938 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 1910, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1925 peak of 19, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Welford popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1910–1984
- Peak year (1925)
- 19
- Annual births at peak, across 75 years of records
Welford by decade
1920s is the heaviest window (123 births, 25% of the file).
1920s was Welford's strongest decade.
123 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 25% of all-time use.
Welford births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s
1910s
70 births
- 1920s
1920s
123 births
- 1930s
1930s
98 births
- 1940s
1940s
93 births
- 1950s
1950s
67 births
- 1960s 24
1960s
24 births
- 1970s 7
1970s
7 births
- 1980s 5
1980s
5 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 123 births (25% of all-time use).
Welford by state
Where Welford concentrates geographically, total births since 1910
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Virginia | | 187 | 38.4% |
187 of 487 births nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
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When was Welford most popular? ▼
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What to do with Welford's data
- Welford's decade-level peak was the 1920s (123 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.
- Virginia records the most Welfords (187 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Virginia names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Welford
Nearby Names Like Welford
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Welford
Compare Welford side by side: Welford vs Weldon Welford vs Wells Welford vs Wellington
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Welford: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1925)
Similar record span (~74 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, 1910–1984 (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 Welford 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.