A FIELD REPORT ON THE NAME
Bradford
buttoned · crested · collegiate
Origin & Meaning
AI-WrittenDerived from an Old English place name meaning broad ford. The surname carried early colonial weight in New England through Mayflower passenger William Bradford. Nineteenth-century American parents adopted it as a given name to preserve family lineages and lend an air of regional permanence.
Also answers toBrad, Ford
Fig. 1 — Births per annum, 1880–2025
SSA Data 1880 peak: 779 souls, A.D. 1953 2025
2025: 32 born, falling ↘
Estimated Age
53 yrs
Most Bradfords were born around 1980 — has dialed a rotary phone in earnest.
Peak Reign
1953
№240 that year
Generation
Gen X, 33%
then Boomer 32% · Millennial 23%
Rarity
Top 2000 all-time
≈32K ever born · now falling
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Estimates from SSA birth records and standard survival rates. Immigration and name changes not counted.
Bradford grew up with
SSA DataMTV·mixtapes·mall arcades
Data vs. Humans
What the data says
SSA Data
SSA: Bradford peaked in 1953.
Estimated average age: 53.
What people think
Opinion LedgerAwaiting human data — cast the first votes.
Bradford sounds like someone born in —
Fig. 2 — Style Coordinates
AI Seed · Votes Override at n=30 Vintage Modern
Formal Casual
Soft Strong
Cast your vote No account · one tap
In your mind, Bradford sounds more like a —
Voting opens when the ledger goes live. No account. 24h cooldown per question.
Public Opinion Ledger
Ledger Opens Soon
The public has not yet weighed in on Bradford. Early ballots carry the most weight.
* Early ballots — fewer than 30 cast so far. The ledger settles at 30.
First Impressions
AI-WrittenThe name reads as a surname doing first-name duty without apologizing for the extra syllable. It suggests someone who keeps a brass boat cleat on a mahogany desk as a paperweight. Most living Bradfords are in their fifties, having largely bypassed the era of casual workplace attire. It sounds like an endowment that requires two signatures to disburse.
Field Notes
AI-WrittenField Note 01
Peak usage landed in 1953, when 779 boys were given the name.
Field Note 02
Baby Boomers and Generation X account for roughly two-thirds of all living holders.
Field Note 03
The name has retreated sharply toward retirement, recording only 32 births in 2025.
Notable Bradfords
AI-WrittenBradford Dillmanactor, b. 1930
Bradford Washburnmountaineer and cartographer, b. 1910
Bradford Coxmusician, b. 1982
Ephemera — If Bradford were a…
AI-WrittenCity
Concord, New Hampshire
Color
Flannel gray
Job
Trust officer
And what of your name?