Given name & surname
Wilford
“from the willow ford”
Wilford is used as a given name and a surname. One English interpretation is “from the willow ford.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One English interpretation is “from the willow 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
Wilford through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 10,447
- 10,442 boys · 5 girls
- Most popular year
- 1926
- 276 babies
- 2025
- 9
- #8,872 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- 0%
- Steady
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 9 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 8,872 among boys’ names. The recent annual counts are too incomplete to establish a ten-year comparison. Its largest published annual count for boys was 276 in 1926. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 3,252 as a first name in 2020; 2,666 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.
Wilford’s family of names
Wilford has a related form in Weilford. Wilford has a related form in Wielford. Wilford has a related form in Wilf.
The ring: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 8
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
People named Wilford
- Wilford WoodruffPresident of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (1807-1898)
- Little Brother MontgomeryAmerican jazz, boogie-woogie and blues pianist and singer (1906–1985)
- Wilford Horace SmithAfrican-American lawyer1863–1926
- Wilford LeachAmerican film director (1929–1988)
- Wilford Bacon HoggattAmerican naval officer and sixth Governor of the District of Alaska (1865-1938)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Wilford, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Winford
“from a friend's ford”
>99% boys
Wilfred
“one who wishes for peace”
>99% boys
Winfred
“a friend of peace”
>99% boys
Sanford
“from the sandy crossing”
>99% boys
Milford
“from the mill's ford”
>99% boys
Wilbur
“one who is willful; a bright man”
>99% boys
Wyman
“a fair-haired warrior”
>99% boys
Willard
“a resolute and brave man”
>99% boys