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Gilford
How to Pronounce Gilford
Pronounced GIL-ferd /ˈɡɪl.fɚd/High
Meaning: Gilford is a surname and place name, generally a variant of Guildford, from Old English elements read as 'ford where the marigolds grow' or 'golden ford'. It joined the American habit of turning English surnames into given names in the nineteenth century.Medium
Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data
U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.
SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.
History & Origin
Gilford is a spelling tied to Guildford, an English place name read as a 'ford by the golden flowers' or marigolds. Carried as a surname, it became a first name in the American surname-name fashion.
In the SSA records it belongs to the early cohort, peaking around 1922 and fading by the nineteen-eighties. It reads as a solid, old-fashioned men's name of the same family as Clifford and Wilford.
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Frequently Asked
What does the name Gilford mean?
Gilford is a surname name, a variant of Guildford meaning 'ford by the golden flowers'.
How do you pronounce Gilford?
It's said GIL-ferd /ˈɡɪl.fɚd/ — two syllables, stress on the first.
Is Gilford a boy or girl name?
Gilford is used as a boy's name.
How popular is Gilford?
Gilford is a rare, old-fashioned name, most seen in the early twentieth century.