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Home › Baby Names Directory › Hanford

Hanford

♂ Boy

Pronounced HAN-furd /ˈhæn.fərd/Medium

Meaning: Hanford is an English surname taken from one of several places so named, combining Old English elements usually read as 'high ford' or 'ford by a rock.' It came into use as a given name in the surname-name fashion.Low

In 30 seconds: Hanford is an English place and surname name meaning roughly 'high ford' or 'rock ford.' It was always rare and peaked in the nineteen-twenties (said HAN-furd).
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Origin LowEnglish
MeaningHanford is an English surname taken from one of several places so named, combining Old English elements usually read as 'high ford' or 'ford by a rock.' It came into use as a given name in the surname-name fashion.
U.S. rank (1961)#4308 ↘ Falling
1961 U.S. births5 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)
Peak year1921
Total births (all-time)≈ 338

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 192219111961

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

Hanford began as an English place name and family surname, its Old English parts pointing to a 'high ford' or a 'ford by a rock,' an ancient river crossing. Carried into given-name use, it has the solid, landscape-rooted feel of the -ford surname names.

As a first name it stayed scarce, clustered in the early twentieth century with a modest high around 1921. A Hanford from that time would belong to a great-grandfather's generation now.

Did you know? Names ending in -ford, like Bradford and Sanford, point back to river crossings, and Hanford joins that group of sturdy English place-surnames adopted as first names.
Overall data confidence 35%
References - Hanford — English place/surname; OE 'high ford' or 'rock ford'

Variations

HanfieldHanafordHansford

Nicknames

HanFordHank

Famous Bearers

  • Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Hanford…

Hanley— a like English place-surname turned first name
Sanford— another -ford surname used as a boy's name
Radford— a similar English -ford surname-name
Halford— shares the -rd ending
Hubbard— shares Hanford's English roots

Explore names like Hanford

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Hanford mean?

It is an English place and surname name, from Old English parts meaning roughly 'high ford' or 'ford by a rock.'

How do you pronounce Hanford?

It is said HAN-furd /ˈhæn.fərd/, two syllables with the stress at the start.

Is Hanford a boy or girl name?

Hanford is used as a boy's name.

How popular is Hanford?

It has always been rare in the United States, peaking in the nineteen-twenties.

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