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    The first name Stafford

    A boy’s name from Irish meaning “landing place”.

    Pronounced /ˈstæfə(ɹ)d/ 2 syllables Male Also a surname

    Meaning and origin

    Irish origin

    Stafford means “landing place” in Irish.

    From Old English stæþ (“landing place”) + ford. As a surname, occasionally derived from Irish (see Stocker).

    From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).

    Popularity

    Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025

    Stafford last appeared in the official list in 2005, given to 3 boys. It peaked in 1999, with 3 births (#2,943).

    0510 1996200020052010201520202025
    6
    babies named Stafford, 1996–2025
    #3,849
    rank in 2005
    1999
    peak year

    Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Stafford with other names.

    Popularity in the United States

    Babies named Stafford at birth, 1880–2025

    In 2025, 28 boys born in the United States were named Stafford, the 3,933rd most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 1959, when 53 were.

    03060 188018851890189519001905191019151920192519301935194019451950195519601965197019751980198519901995200020052010201520202025
    2,850
    babies named Stafford since 1880
    #3,933
    rank in 2025
    1959
    peak year

    US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.

    Nicknames and spellings

    Other spellings and forms

    • Strafford

    Famous people named Stafford

    4 on Wikidata, most written-about first

    • John Stafford Smith
      British composer, church organist, and early musicologist (1750–1836)
    • Stafford Repp
      American actor (1918-1974)
    • Stafford Northcote, 1st Earl of Iddesleigh
      British politician (1818–1887)
    • Stafford L. Warren
      American physician and radiologist (1896–1981)

    More Irish boys’ names

    All 142 names of Irish origin

    Questions

    What does the name Stafford mean?
    Stafford means “landing place” in Irish.
    What is the origin of the name Stafford?
    From Old English stæþ (“landing place”) + ford. As a surname, occasionally derived from Irish (see Stocker).
    How popular is the name Stafford?
    In 2005, 3 boys born in England and Wales were named Stafford, ranking 3,849th. Its peak was 1999, with 3 births.
    Is Stafford a boy's or a girl's name?
    Mostly a boy's name: 100% of the 2,850 US babies named Stafford since 1880 were boys.
    When was Stafford most popular?
    1959 in the United States, when 53 babies were named Stafford, its highest rank at 1,067th.
    How do you pronounce Stafford?
    Stafford is /ˈstæfə(ɹ)d/, 2 syllables.
    What are other spellings of Stafford?
    Strafford.
    Is Stafford also a surname?
    Yes. Stafford is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.