Todd is a Middle English name derived from a word meaning "fox" — from the Old English dialect word tod, used in northern England for the animal. With 282,235 total SSA records and a peak year of 1964, Todd is one of the quintessential names of the Baby Boom generation. At rank 1,596, it's now a rarity on birth certificates — which places it in interesting territory for parents who want something genuinely vintage without the more formal weight of names like Theodore or Edmund.
The Fox Etymology
Todd as "fox" is a genuinely interesting origin — animals as name sources appear throughout English naming (Fox, Wolf, Lovell for wolf cub) but are rarely this clean and direct. The fox carries associations of cleverness, adaptability, and independence across Western folklore. Middle English names with animal etymologies are unusual enough that most bearers of Todd don't know their name means fox , which gives the meaning a pleasant surprise quality when discovered.
Todd as a Baby Boom Relic
Todd, Scott, and Brad are perhaps the three names most instantly identified with American male Baby Boomers. Peaked in 1964, worn by a huge cohort now in their fifties and sixties, and rarely seen on children under ten today. That generational marker is real , a boy named Todd in 2025 will carry a name associated with his grandparents' generation. 1960s boys' names like Todd, Scott, and Kevin are approaching the point where their generational saturation becomes a vintage quality rather than a liability.
The Counter-Reading: Too Soon for a Comeback?
Names like Theodore, Walter, and Arthur peaked earlier than Todd and have already staged strong comebacks. Todd, with its more recent 1964 peak, is still in what naming trends suggest is the "too recent to be vintage" zone , that awkward middle ground where a name hasn't been absent long enough to feel fresh. Todd versus Scott: both are quintessential Boomer names at similar stages of the cycle, with Scott currently ranking slightly higher.