Total births
10,442
Boys' name · since 1880
Wilford
10,442 babies named Wilford in U.S. Social Security records since 1880, with the highest year being 1926. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #12354
- among boys today
- 10,442
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 14%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Wilford is the #12354 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 10,442 recorded since 1880.
Social Security Administration records show Wilford recorded 10,442 times among boys since 1880, holding rank #12354 nationally today, ahead of 14% of boys, peaking in the 1920s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #12354 among boys today
- 10,442 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 14% more common than other boys
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
Wilford is currently the #12354 boys' name in America, more common than 14% of boys - 10,442 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #12354
- among boys today
- 10,442
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 14%
- more common than other boys
Wilford vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#12354
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 14% of names given to boys today.
1920s
Peak decade
24% of everyone ever named Wilford was born in this single decade.
1926
Single peak year
276 babies were named Wilford in 1926 - its busiest year on record.
How Wilford compares
10,442 Top 8% higher than 92% 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
Wilford's all-time total is 28x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Wilford | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 10,442 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 276 | 23 | 22,252 |
Wilford's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Wilford's full recorded timeline at 1951, 24% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 76% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 2002, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1926 peak of 276 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Wilford at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1926
Current rank
#12,354
Active since
1880
Wilford popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1926)
- 276
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Wilford popularity over time - girls
5 total births recorded since 1925 (Wilford as girls' name)
Wilford by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Wilford's strongest decade.
2,492 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 24% of all-time use.
Wilford births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 170
1880s
170 births
- 1890s 191
1890s
191 births
- 1900s 246
1900s
246 births
- 1910s
1910s
1,698 births
- 1920s
1920s
2,492 births
- 1930s
1930s
1,689 births
- 1940s
1940s
1,346 births
- 1950s
1950s
1,071 births
- 1960s 598
1960s
598 births
- 1970s 390
1970s
390 births
- 1980s 228
1980s
228 births
- 1990s 127
1990s
127 births
- 2000s 72
2000s
72 births
- 2010s 86
2010s
86 births
- 2020s 38
2020s
38 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 2,492 births (24% of all-time use).
How Wilford 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 Wilford's total volume
Wilford vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Wilford by state
Where Wilford concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 798 | 7.6% |
| #2 | Missouri | | 381 | 3.6% |
| #3 | Utah | | 325 | 3.1% |
| #4 | Louisiana | | 321 | 3.1% |
| #5 | Ohio | | 303 | 2.9% |
| #6 | Kentucky | | 299 | 2.9% |
| #7 | North Carolina | | 280 | 2.7% |
| #8 | Pennsylvania | | 253 | 2.4% |
Texas share of Wilford's total US births 7.6%
Even split
798 of 10,442 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 37 reporting states.
Wilford appears in 37 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Wilford? ▼
Wilford has been given to 10,442 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #12354 as of the latest data. 276 babies were born in 1926, its single highest year.
When was Wilford most popular? ▼
Wilford was most popular in the 1920s decade with 2,492 total births. The single peak year was 1926.
Where is Wilford most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Wilford are Texas (798 births), Missouri (381 births), Utah (325 births).
How long has the name Wilford been used? ▼
Wilford has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 146 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Wilford? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include William, Willie, Willard, Wilbur, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Wilford's data
- Wilford's decade-level peak was the 1920s (2,492 total births); usage has since declined to 38 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Wilfords (798 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas 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 Wilford
Nearby Names Like Wilford
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Wilford
William Boy
#10 4,199,696 births
Willie Boy
#1364 450,188 births
Willard Boy
#2958 77,658 births
Wilbur Boy
#2959 56,906 births
Willis Boy
#2638 52,336 births
Compare Wilford side by side: Wilford vs William Wilford vs Willie Wilford vs Willard
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Wilford
Isom #12353
1,783 births · Peak 1920
Cicero #12355
1,453 births · Peak 1920
Alvah #12352
1,808 births · Peak 1916
Ellsworth #12356
7,337 births · Peak 1918
Junius #12351
5,373 births · Peak 1920
Olaf #12357
2,531 births · Peak 1916
Granville #12350
5,501 births · Peak 1918
Orie #12358
1,727 births · Peak 1917
Data Sources
Data as of July 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. "Wilford: #12354 Boys' Name - 10,442 Births, Peak 1926." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/wilford. 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 Wilford 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 July 2026.