Bufford

A boy's name of Old English origin with 507 recorded U.S. births.

Boy's nameRare nameNot ranked recently

Meaning & Origin

A surname.

Bufford is a boy's baby name of Old English origin, a variant of Buford meaning 'ford near the cow pasture' or 'ford at the bee farm,' from Old English beo (bee) or cu (cow) and ford.

Bufford is a Southern American surname that saw use as a given name during the 19th and early 20th centuries. Like Buford, it carries a frontier, old-South character — unhurried and grounded in the American landscape.

EtymologyShow more

Phonetically, Bufford belongs to a cluster of names characterized by their sharp, distinct ending — ending on a consonant gives it a firm, clear close. At two syllables, it has a two-beat rhythm that is easy to call across a room and natural in conversation.

Within the Old English naming tradition, names with similar sound structures often share underlying etymological patterns. Exploring Old English names on this site may surface connections that illuminate Bufford’s linguistic neighborhood.

At a Glance

507

Total births

Since 1912

1928

Peak

18 births

1912

First recorded

57 years of data

Compare Bufford with another name

Popularity Over Time

Bufford has 48+ years of history in the U.S., first appearing in 1912.

First appeared: 1912Peak: 1928 (18 births)

Popularity by Decade

Decade-by-decade popularity data for Bufford
Decade	Births	Avg Rank	Trend
1960s	27	#3968	▼
1950s	45	#3238	▼
1940s	112	#2323	▼
1930s	130	#2069	—
1920s	131	#2358	▲
1910s	62	#2625	—

The Story of Bufford

A Silent Generation name

Peaking in 1928, Bufford is an elegant vintage name. Boys named Bufford are most likely born between 1918 and 1938.

How rare is Bufford?

With 507 total births on record, Bufford remains a rare and distinctive pick.

The journey through the decades

First appeared in the records in 1912, peaked in the 1920s with 131 births that decade, and has gracefully settled into a quieter chapter.

Bufford by the numbers

Would fill 11 school buses
Meeting one Bufford per day would take 1.4 years

Year-by-Year Data

View complete yearly data(48 years, 1912–1968)

Year-by-year popularity data for the name Bufford
Year	Births	Rank	Change
1968	5	#4204	-2 (-28.6%)
1967	7	#3273	+2 (40.0%)
1963	5	#4110	0
1962	5	#4110	0
1961	5	#4142	-2 (-28.6%)
1959	7	#3314	+2 (40.0%)
1957	5	#4054	0
1956	5	#4009	-2 (-28.6%)
1954	7	#3202	-4 (-36.4%)
1952	11	#2395	+1 (10.0%)
1950	10	#2453	-6 (-37.5%)
1949	16	#1876	+5 (45.5%)
1948	11	#2340	+1 (10.0%)
1947	10	#2519	+1 (11.1%)
1946	9	#2559	-3 (-25.0%)
1945	12	#2017	+2 (20.0%)
1944	10	#2327	-7 (-41.2%)
1943	17	#1779	+11 (183.3%)
1942	6	#3260	-4 (-40.0%)
1941	10	#2355	-1 (-9.1%)

Source: U.S. Social Security Administration. Showing years with 5+ recorded births.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Bufford a boy's or girl's name?

Bufford is primarily a boy's name.

When was Bufford most popular?

Bufford reached its peak popularity in 1928 with 18 births that year. It is not currently in the top rankings.

How popular is the name Bufford?

Bufford is not currently in the top rankings but has been given to 507 babies in the U.S. since 1912. Its peak was in 1928.

Explore More

By Length7-letter names By OriginOld English names By EndingNames in -d TrendingRising names RankingsFull rankings

Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration, 1912–1968