Boy name · Old English
Ford
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: river crossingFord is a boy's name that comes from Old English and means "river crossing". It is used in English.
- Meaning
- River crossing
- Origin
- Old English
- Gender
- Boy
- US rank
- #474 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Ford
As a boy's name, Ford comes from Old English and means "river crossing". It is used in English.
Ford is also a surname: the 140th most common in the 2020 US Census, held by 178,559 people. See the most common last names.
Its meaning puts Ford on our names that mean water or sea list.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Ford on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Ford on 3 lists.
“A real name and a beloved truck”
From Redneck names for boys, truck and tractor nicknames
“River crossing; Old English. Sturdy one-syllable pick”
From Boy middle names, nature middle names for boys
“For a family living by a river crossing”
From Cool last names, nature last names
How popular is Ford?
- US rank in 2025
- #474
- 642 babies, 376 per million boys
- Best rank
- #439 in 2021
- 707 babies that year
- Babies since 1880
- At least 11,009
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 75 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 101 per million |
| 1900s | 99 per million |
| 1910s | 104 per million |
| 1920s | 67 per million |
| 1930s | 33 per million |
| 1940s | 30 per million |
| 1950s | 21 per million |
| 1960s | 14 per million |
| 1970s | 9 per million |
| 1980s | 9 per million |
| 1990s | 17 per million |
| 2000s | 31 per million |
| 2010s | 147 per million |
| 2020s | 359 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #714 | #711 | #635 | #562 | #459 | #439 | #477 | #523 | #570 | #474 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Names spelled like Ford
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- FaridUnique, matchless (Arabic, boy)
- FahdPanther (Arabic, boy)
- FioreFlower (Italian, unisex)
- FloydGrey (Welsh, boy)
- FomaTwin (Aramaic, boy)
- FouadHeart (Arabic, boy)
Names with a similar meaning
- RioRiver (Spanish, unisex)
- SabrinaFrom Sabrina, the Latin name of the River Severn (Welsh, girl)
- DouglasDark river (Scottish Gaelic, boy)
- KelvinFrom the River Kelvin (Scottish place name, boy)
- MonroeFrom the mouth of the Roe river (Gaelic, unisex)
- ShannonFrom Ireland's longest river (Irish Gaelic, unisex)
- AltonTown at a river's source (Old English, boy)
- AyrtonSettlement on the River Aire (English, boy)
- ClodaghFrom a river in County Waterford (Irish Gaelic, girl)
- DùbhghlasDark river (Scottish Gaelic, boy)
Middle names for Ford
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.
More boy names from Old English
- EdgarWealthy spear (Old English, boy)
- AlfredElf counsel (Old English, boy)
- EduardRich guardian (Old English, boy)
- StormTempest (Old English, unisex)
- AlfredoElf counsel (Old English, boy)
- EduardoRich guardian (Old English, boy)
- GrahamFrom a surname from the place name Grantham, probably gravelly homestead (Old English, boy)
- HarperHarp player (Old English, unisex)
- KnoxRound hill (Old English, boy)
- LindenLime tree (Old English, unisex)
Ford: common questions
What does the name Ford mean?
Ford comes from Old English and means "river crossing".
Is Ford a boy or girl name?
Ford is mainly a boy's name.
Where does the name Ford come from?
Ford comes from Old English and means "river crossing". Today it is used in English.
How popular is the name Ford?
Ford ranked #474 in the US in 2025, with 642 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What names are similar to Ford?
Names spelled like Ford include Farid, Fahd, Fiore, Floyd and Foma.
What middle names go with Ford?
Middle names that flow well with Ford include Cedar, Constantine, Cyprian, Elijah and Gideon. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.