Is Ford a boy, girl, or unisex name?

Ford is commonly used as a Boy name.

It's currently ranked #494 in the U.S. Recent trend: Rising.

Ford Boy

Popularity: #494 · Trend: ↗ Rising

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: ford //fɔrd//

Origin: English; Old English

Meaning: river crossing; ford

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Ford has its roots in Old English, derived from the word "forda," which means a shallow place in a river or stream where one can cross. This term can be traced back to the Proto-Germanic *furthō, which also relates to the Old Norse "fjorðr" and the Dutch "voorde." The transition into the English language occurred during the early medieval period, as Old English evolved into Middle English, with the name Ford being used both as a surname and a given name.

Historically, the name Ford appears in various records throughout the Middle Ages, often associated with geographical locations, as many surnames were derived from the names of places. Notably, the name is linked to several English locations named Ford, which were often situated near river crossings.

The use of Ford as a surname became more prominent in the 13th century, with individuals bearing the name appearing in historical documents and land grants. The name also appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, indicating its early significance in English society.

Culturally, the name Ford carries connotations of strength and stability, reflecting the practical importance of river crossings in medieval life. It symbolizes a connection to nature and the landscape, as well as the journey and transition, which are central themes in many cultures.

The name has also been associated with notable figures throughout history, including various local leaders and landowners in England. A diminutive form, such as "Forde," has also been used historically, though it is less common.

Overall, the name Ford has maintained its relevance through its historical roots and cultural significance.

Fictional characters named Ford

The following list of fictional characters named Ford is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

Ford Prefect is a fictional character from the book series The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. He is a researcher for the titular guide and a friend of the protagonist Arthur Dent.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Ford, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

Grant Blake Reed Cole Tate Jett

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Ford. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

Floyd Gordy Lloyd Ward Holt Troy Brock Clyde

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Ford was first seen in the United States in 1880.

Ford has ranked as high as #723 nationally, which occurred in 2021, and has been most popular in California, Texas, Michigan, Georgia, and North Carolina.

In the past 5 years the name Ford has been trending up compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Ford is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Ford was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Top States for Ford (2024)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. In some cases, you may see four or five states listed. However, we only display states where the name represents a significant percentage of births, so the number of states shown can range from one to several.

Year:

State	Births	Share
CA	55	13%
TX	46	11%
GA	27	6%
IL	26	6%
FL	21	5%
NC	21	5%
AZ	21	5%
OH	20	5%
PA	18	4%
UT	17	4%
MI	16	4%
TN	16	4%
NY	14	3%
IN	13	3%
MO	11	3%

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Ford.

Year	Births
2024	504
2023	564
2022	649
2021	707
2020	647
2019	497
2018	417
2017	344
2016	342
2015	327
2014	245
2013	183
2012	171
2011	139
2010	101
2009	94
2008	87
2007	66
2006	88
2005	62
2004	37
2003	54
2002	45
2001	41
2000	52
1999	36
1998	35
1997	49
1996	36
1995	36
1994	38
1993	27
1992	28
1991	26
1990	19
1989	22
1988	25
1987	20
1986	16
1985	17
1984	17
1983	16
1982	10
1981	14
1980	12
1979	23
1978	11
1977	9
1976	15
1975	15
1974	6
1973	19
1972	11
1971	20
1970	27
1969	26
1968	22
1967	22
1966	25
1965	28
1964	16
1963	30
1962	30
1961	32
1960	36
1959	48
1958	37
1957	42
1956	42
1955	26
1954	49
1953	44
1952	38
1951	51
1950	41
1949	46
1948	45
1947	63
1946	47
1945	38
1944	48
1943	41
1942	42
1941	46
1940	29
1939	43
1938	34
1937	33
1936	29
1935	35
1934	33
1933	32
1932	33
1931	34
1930	47
1929	51
1928	50
1927	63
1926	71
1925	88
1924	76
1923	115
1922	87
1921	79
1920	57
1919	79
1918	72
1917	95
1916	101
1915	133
1914	72
1913	51
1912	57
1911	18
1910	16
1909	16
1908	23
1907	9
1906	13
1905	12
1904	9
1903	9
1902	13
1901	7
1900	24
1899	11
1898	9
1897	10
1896	11
1895	8
1894	13
1893	13
1892	12
1891	11
1890	17
1889	15
1888	8
1887	10
1886	6
1885	9
1883	8
1882	7
1881	11
1880	8