Rayford
- Gender
- Boy
- Say it
- RAY-ford
- Origin
- English
- US rank, 2025
- #12,003 for boys
Rayford is a boys' name of English origin. In 2025 it ranked 12,003rd for boys in the US (5 babies).
What does Rayford mean?
English: English surname, probably from a place name
Rayford Steele is the airline pilot hero of the Left Behind novels.
Is Rayford a girl's or a boy's name?
Rayford is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 5 boys in the US. Too few girls were given it to be listed.
How popular is Rayford in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #12,003among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 5about 1 in 340,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Too rare to calltoo few babies to tell
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 5 boys in the US were named Rayford, making it the 12,003rd most popular name for boys. Its busiest year was 1937, with 124 boys. It first appears in the records in 1896.
Half of all the boys named Rayford in the US since 1880 were born between 1931 and 1961, the years shaded on the chart below.
Rayford in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 5 | #12,003 |
| 2024 | 0 | – |
| 2023 | 6 | #10,815 |
| 2022 | 0 | – |
| 2021 | 6 | #10,794 |
| 2020 | 0 | – |
| 2019 | 0 | – |
| 2018 | 0 | – |
| 2017 | 6 | #10,770 |
| 2016 | 0 | – |
| 2015 | 0 | – |
| 2014 | 7 | #9,636 |
| 2013 | 6 | #10,722 |
| 2012 | 5 | #12,267 |
| 2011 | 5 | #12,280 |
| 2010 | 6 | #10,759 |
| 2009 | 0 | – |
| 2008 | 10 | #7,693 |
| 2007 | 6 | #10,915 |
| 2006 | 7 | #9,579 |
| 2005 | 11 | #6,628 |
| 2004 | 10 | #6,970 |
| 2003 | 0 | – |
| 2002 | 12 | #5,718 |
| 2001 | 14 | #5,135 |
| 2000 | 6 | #9,104 |
| 1999 | 11 | #5,650 |
| 1998 | 10 | #5,834 |
| 1997 | 10 | #5,636 |
| 1996 | 12 | #4,871 |
| 1995 | 7 | #6,985 |
| 1994 | 11 | #5,103 |
| 1993 | 8 | #6,221 |
| 1992 | 17 | #3,597 |
| 1991 | 23 | #2,822 |
| 1990 | 22 | #2,859 |
| 1989 | 20 | #2,983 |
| 1988 | 21 | #2,677 |
| 1987 | 22 | #2,464 |
| 1986 | 26 | #2,159 |
| 1985 | 18 | #2,708 |
| 1984 | 31 | #1,795 |
| 1983 | 22 | #2,271 |
| 1982 | 34 | #1,699 |
| 1981 | 30 | #1,864 |
| 1980 | 24 | #2,162 |
| 1979 | 35 | #1,633 |
| 1978 | 29 | #1,794 |
| 1977 | 31 | #1,707 |
| 1976 | 23 | #2,053 |
| 1975 | 36 | #1,478 |
| 1974 | 35 | #1,471 |
| 1973 | 24 | #1,817 |
| 1972 | 43 | #1,262 |
| 1971 | 52 | #1,138 |
| 1970 | 40 | #1,313 |
| 1969 | 50 | #1,097 |
| 1968 | 58 | #958 |
| 1967 | 71 | #848 |
| 1966 | 57 | #961 |
| 1965 | 56 | #986 |
| 1964 | 64 | #952 |
| 1963 | 61 | #960 |
| 1962 | 79 | #849 |
| 1961 | 69 | #914 |
| 1960 | 76 | #869 |
| 1959 | 56 | #1,025 |
| 1958 | 83 | #823 |
| 1957 | 82 | #834 |
| 1956 | 93 | #761 |
| 1955 | 89 | #771 |
| 1954 | 96 | #734 |
| 1953 | 87 | #761 |
| 1952 | 111 | #658 |
| 1951 | 96 | #706 |
| 1950 | 99 | #684 |
| 1949 | 90 | #721 |
| 1948 | 91 | #699 |
| 1947 | 105 | #671 |
| 1946 | 99 | #648 |
| 1945 | 77 | #692 |
| 1944 | 111 | #581 |
| 1943 | 103 | #623 |
| 1942 | 92 | #673 |
| 1941 | 84 | #665 |
| 1940 | 96 | #602 |
| 1939 | 88 | #621 |
| 1938 | 101 | #583 |
| 1937 | 124 | #517 |
| 1936 | 82 | #637 |
| 1935 | 91 | #614 |
| 1934 | 93 | #615 |
| 1933 | 78 | #664 |
| 1932 | 96 | #600 |
| 1931 | 80 | #667 |
| 1930 | 90 | #645 |
| 1929 | 90 | #649 |
| 1928 | 95 | #636 |
| 1927 | 92 | #662 |
| 1926 | 83 | #694 |
| 1925 | 98 | #641 |
| 1924 | 81 | #737 |
| 1923 | 78 | #737 |
| 1922 | 80 | #737 |
| 1921 | 71 | #804 |
| 1920 | 73 | #775 |
| 1919 | 79 | #704 |
| 1918 | 60 | #851 |
| 1917 | 50 | #900 |
| 1916 | 27 | #1,304 |
| 1915 | 44 | #941 |
| 1914 | 29 | #1,054 |
| 1913 | 28 | #930 |
| 1912 | 23 | #935 |
| 1911 | 13 | #924 |
| 1910 | 7 | #1,313 |
| 1909 | 13 | #804 |
| 1908 | 6 | #1,216 |
| 1907 | 8 | #998 |
| 1906 | 5 | #1,252 |
| 1905 | 0 | – |
| 1904 | 0 | – |
| 1903 | 5 | #1,129 |
| 1902 | 0 | – |
| 1901 | 5 | #1,057 |
| 1900 | 6 | #1,161 |
| 1899 | 0 | – |
| 1898 | 0 | – |
| 1897 | 0 | – |
| 1896 | 8 | #825 |
Nicknames for Rayford
- Ray 69 boys in the UK in 2025
Names like Rayford
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Richard Raymond Robert Roland Russell Ronald Warren Franklin Donald Howard Leonard Edward
More English names
Lily Evelyn Hudson Ivy Harper Grace Violet Willow Daisy Poppy Riley Oakley Mason Cooper Ruby Hallie
Sources
Figures from Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Rayford: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/rayford, updated 20 October 2026.