Name: Ford
Meaning: “dweller at the ford,” or “river crossing”
Origin: English
Current Popularity: #635
Ford was at peak popularity in 1900, when it was #473. It stayed in the top 1000 names in the US until 1952. And then something interesting happened. It fell out of the rankings completely for decades. In 2014 it re-emerged and is now on an upswing.
Nickname Potential: Short and sweet, Ford is nickname-proof. But if you want a longer version, we like Fordham. It could also be a nickname for any of the -ford ending names, like Rutherford, Clifford, or Radford.
Associations: Ford’s most famous namesake is Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company, though it also has ties to President Gerald Ford and movie star Harrison Ford. While these contemporary bearers have Ford as a last name, its famous 1800s namesakes were first-name Fords: French-born British painter Ford Madox Brown and English novelist Ford Madox Ford (born Ford Hermann Hueffer) being the most notable.
Similar Names: Cole, Miller, Owen, Penn, Grant, Bennett, Hudson, Graham, Merrick, Foster, Rhett, Clark, Miles, Lincoln, Beck, Walker, Calder, Wade
Why We Love It: We’re intrigued that one name can embody so many current trends and still be fairly under the radar. It’s most obviously a “surname” baby name, and it’s also a presidential name and even a nature name, when you consider its literal meaning. Yet Ford doesn’t SCREAM any of these: It’s not as obviously last-namey as something like Smith, not as presidential as Lincoln, and not as nature inspired as a name like Briar. We think it’s the name’s monosyllabic boldness that keeps it feeling neutral and timeless.
Who Might Like It: Ford will give you that “recognizable but unusual” balance in a succinct, bold, and slightly preppy package. We’d love to see it used to honor a family member named Ford, or perhaps one of the many influential famous Fords.