The first name Stanford
A boy’s name from English meaning “stone”, “ford”.
Pronounced /ˈstænfəɹd/ 2 syllables Male Also a surname
Meaning and origin
English origin
Stanford means “stone”, “ford” in English.
Various placenames from Old English stān (“stone”) + ford (“ford”). * (The university): Named after the son of railroad magnate Leland Stanford.
More names that mean mountain.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Stanford at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 12 boys born in the United States were named Stanford, the 7,131st most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 1954, when 135 were.
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.
Stanford in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Nicknames and spellings
Other spellings and forms
- Stanforth
Famous people named Stanford
3 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Stanford MooreAmerican biochemist (1913-1982)
- Stanford WhiteAmerican architect (1853-1906)
- Stanford J. ShawAmerican historian (1930–2006)
More English boys’ names
Questions
- What does the name Stanford mean?
- Stanford means “stone”, “ford” in English.
- What is the origin of the name Stanford?
- Various placenames from Old English stān (“stone”) + ford (“ford”). * (The university): Named after the son of railroad magnate Leland Stanford.
- Is Stanford a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a boy's name: 100% of the 7,727 US babies named Stanford since 1880 were boys.
- When was Stanford most popular?
- 1954 in the United States, when 135 babies were named Stanford, its highest rank at 636th.
- How do you pronounce Stanford?
- Stanford is /ˈstænfəɹd/, 2 syllables.
- What are other spellings of Stanford?
- Stanforth.
- Is Stanford also a surname?
- Yes. Stanford is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.