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Home › Baby Names Directory › Guilford

Guilford

♂ Boy

How to Pronounce Guilford

Pronounced GIL-ferd /ˈɡɪlfərd/Medium

Meaning: Guilford is an English place-and-surname name, usually explained from Old English elements meaning a golden or marigold-colored hill or sand beside a ford — a river crossing. Guildford in Surrey is the best-known source. It became an American given name via the surname.Low

In 30 seconds: Guilford is an English surname-turned-first-name meaning about 'ford by the golden hill' (said GIL-ferd). It stayed rare across the early twentieth century.
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Origin MediumEnglish
MeaningGuilford is an English place-and-surname name, usually explained from Old English elements meaning a golden or marigold-colored hill or sand beside a ford — a river crossing. Guildford in Surrey is the best-known source. It became an American given name via the surname.
U.S. rank (1973)#5380 ↘ Falling
1973 U.S. births5 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)
Peak year1923
Total births (all-time)≈ 589

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 192318851973

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

Guilford comes from an English place name of the '-ford' type, its first part pointing to a golden or marigold-hued hill or sand by the river crossing. Carried as a surname, it entered American first-name use during the vogue for surname names. It appears in United States records from the mid eighteen-eighties and peaks around 1923. It was always uncommon, given to only a couple dozen boys a year at its best.

Last recorded in the nineteen-seventies, Guilford reads as a great-grandfather-era name and has not revived. Its dignified, place-name air groups it with Gifford, Clifford and Milford, and the short form Gil keeps it usable for a parent after an understated antique.

Did you know? Guilford echoes Guildford in Surrey, England, whose name is often read as the 'golden ford' — perhaps for golden sand or marigold-colored slopes by the crossing.
Overall data confidence 55%
References - Guilford — English place/surname; 'golden hill' + ford; Guildford, Surrey

Variations

GuildfordGifford

Nicknames

GilFord

Famous Bearers

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If you like Guilford…

Gifford— a like English place-surname boys' name
Clifford— shares the '-ford' ending and vintage feel
Milford— another '-ford' place-name used as a first name
Radford— a same-era surname-turned-first-name

Explore names like Guilford

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Guilford mean?

It is an English place and surname name, likely meaning 'ford by the golden or marigold hill.'

How do you pronounce Guilford?

It's said GIL-ferd /ˈɡɪlfərd/, 2 syllables.

Is Guilford a boy or girl name?

Guilford is used as a boy's name.

How popular is Guilford?

It was always rare, a surname-style boys' name given to only a couple dozen boys a year in the early nineteen-hundreds.

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