Given name & surname
Stanford
“from the stony ford”
Stanford is used as a given name and a surname. One English interpretation is “from the stony ford.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One English interpretation is “from the stony ford.”
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
Stanford through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 7,727
- 7,727 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 1954
- 135 babies
- 2025
- 12
- #7,131 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +8%
- Steady
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 12 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 7,131 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 7.7% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 135 in 1954. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 4,126 as a first name in 2020; 20,320 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.
Stanford’s family of names
Stanford has a related form in Stamford. Stanford has a related form in Stamforde. Stanford has a related form in Standford.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 6
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 5
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Stanford
- Stanford MooreAmerican biochemist (1913-1982)
- Stanford R. Ovshinskyprolific American inventor and scientist (1922–2012)
- Stanford J. ShawAmerican historian (1930–2006)
- Stanford WhiteAmerican architect (1853-1906)
- Stanford Parrisformer U.S. Congressman from Virginia1929–2010
- Stanford E. WoosleyAmerican physicistborn 1944
- Stanford DerereZimbabwean sculptorborn 1956
Characters named Stanford: Stan Smith (the animated series American Dad!).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Stanford, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Stafford
“from the landing ford”
>99% boys
Stanton
“from the stone town”
>99% boys
Bradford
“from the wide ford”
>99% boys
Stanley
“from the stony meadow”
>99% boys
Waymond
Waymond is a masculine given name.
>99% boys
Stuart
“a steward; the keeper of the estate”
>99% boys
Artis
“lofty hill; noble” · “rock”
94% boys · 6% girls
Carnell
“the defender of the castle”
>99% boys