Given name & surname
Ford
“from the water”·“from the river crossing”
Ford is used as a given name and a surname. Interpretations include “from the water” (English) and “from the river crossing” (English). These may reflect different naming traditions.
Meaning & origin
What it means
Interpretations include “from the water” (English) and “from the river crossing” (English). These may reflect different naming traditions.
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is English.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Ford through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 11,026
- 11,009 boys · 17 girls
- Most popular year
- 2021
- 707 babies
- 2025
- 642
- #474 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +36%
- Rising
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 642 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 474 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 36.6% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (75). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 5,276 as a first name in 2020; 178,559 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Ford’s family of names
Ford has a related form in Fordae. Ford has a related form in Fordai. Ford has a related form in Fordan.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Ford has relatives in 4 languages. Lines run from its English roots to each of them.
Nicknames & forms 13
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Fordevariant
- Ffordevariant · English
- Foordvariant · English
- Fordinvariant
- Fordunvariant
- Fordonvariant
- Fordanvariant
- Fordenvariant
Show 5 moreShow fewer
Across languages 6
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Ford
- Ford Madox BrownBritish painter (1821–1893)
- Ford Madox FordEnglish writer and publisher (1873-1939)
- Ford SterlingAmerican comedian (1883–1939)1882–1939
- Ford KonnoAmerican swimmerborn 1933
- Ford RaineyAmerican actor (1908–2005)
- Ford BeebeAmerican screenwriter, film director (1888–1978)
- Ford FrickAmerican baseball administrator (1894-1978)
- Ford DoolittleAmerican biochemistborn 1941
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
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