Total births
487
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.
- 487
- total births
- 1910–1984
- years on record
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 25%
- born in that 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.
- 487 total births
- 1910–1984 years on record
- 1920s peak decade
- 25% born in that decade
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
487 boys have been named Welford since 1910, peaking in the 1920s, last recorded in 1984.
- 487
- total births
- 1910–1984
- years on record
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 25%
- born in that decade
1920s
Peak decade
25% of everyone ever named Welford was born in this single decade.
1925
Single peak year
19 babies were named Welford in 1925 - its busiest year on record.
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 at a glance
Last recorded 1984Peak year
1925
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1910
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
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
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% |
Virginia share of Welford's total US births 38.4%
187 of 487 births nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Welford? ▼
Welford has been given to 487 babies in the U.S. since 1910, according to SSA data. Its last appearance in the data was 1984. 19 babies were born in 1925, its single highest year.
When was Welford most popular? ▼
Welford was most popular in the 1920s decade with 123 total births. The single peak year was 1925.
Where is Welford most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Welford are Virginia (187 births).
How long has the name Welford been used? ▼
Welford has been recorded in Social Security data since 1910, spanning 75 years of data through 1984.
What names are similar to Welford? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Weldon, Wells, Wellington, Welton, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
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
- 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 Welford
Nearby Names Like Welford
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Welford
Weldon Boy
#2962 14,249 births
Wells Boy
#377 6,989 births
Wellington Boy
#3220 2,879 births
Welton Boy
2,594 births
Welles Boy
#3537 470 births
Compare Welford side by side: Welford vs Weldon Welford vs Wells Welford vs Wellington
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
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, 1910–1984 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Welford: Baby Name Since 1910 - 487 Births, Peak 1925." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/welford. 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 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 June 2026.