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Bedford
How to Pronounce Bedford
Pronounced BED-ferd /หbษd.fษd/High
Meaning: Bedford is an English place-name and surname from Old English, usually read as 'Beda's ford', the river crossing of a man named Beda; the town of Bedford gave rise to the surname, which was handed on as a given name.Low
Popularity in the U.S. ยท SSA data
U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880โpresent). Pink marker = peak year.
SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.
History & Origin
Bedford is an English place-name โ the county town in England โ from Old English, usually read as 'Beda's ford', the river crossing associated with a man named Beda. Like many such place-surnames it was passed on as an American given name for boys around the turn of the twentieth century.
Never common, it saw its modest high point in the nineteen-twenties and faded thereafter; anyone named Bedford today is most likely a grandfather or great-grandfather. It has a dignified, old-map air but has not been part of the recent vintage revival.
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Frequently Asked
What does the name Bedford mean?
Bedford is an English place-name and surname meaning 'Beda's ford', a river crossing linked to a man named Beda.
How do you pronounce Bedford?
It's said BED-ferd /หbษd.fษd/ โ two syllables, stress on the first.
Is Bedford a boy or girl name?
Bedford is used as a boy's name.
How popular is Bedford?
Bedford was always rare โ a genuine early-twentieth-century antique, scarce since mid-century.