Buford
English surname turned given name, probably habitational, from a place name combining elements for a fortified site and a ford, a river crossing.
Buford in 2025
Buford was given to 6 babies in the United States in 2025, making it the 22,478th most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 552,557 babies born.
The history of Buford
Buford reached its highest point in 1921, when 334 babies were given the name, ranking 684th that year.
Across the 146 years of records since 1880, 10,964 babies have been named Buford. Half of them were born before 1931, which places the name's centre of gravity with the Silent Generation.
Buford by decade
| Decade | Babies named Buford | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 69 | 1,074 |
| 1890s | 156 | 1,127 |
| 1900s | 282 | 803 |
| 1910s | 1,785 | 734 |
| 1920s | 2,799 | 684 |
| 1930s | 1,942 | 786 |
| 1940s | 1,657 | 898 |
| 1950s | 968 | 1,326 |
| 1960s | 587 | 2,035 |
| 1970s | 375 | 2,738 |
| 1980s | 203 | 4,436 |
| 1990s | 88 | 8,414 |
| 2000s | 32 | 15,961 |
| 2010s | 10 | 26,947 |
| 2020s | 11 | 22,478 |
Where Buford is heading
Buford was not in use ten years ago, so there is no decade-long trend to compare against yet.
That is less than 5% of its 1921 peak — Buford is now a rare name in the United States.
Names like Buford
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Buford.