Recent in Baby
When Baby Resists SolidsWhen Baby Resists SolidsBaby Biting TipsBaby Biting Tips5 Tips To Help Prevent Highchair Injuries5 Tips To Help Prevent Highchair InjuriesWhen Baby and Pet MeetWhen Baby and Pet MeetTreatments for ColicTreatments for ColicBaby Milestones – The First YearBaby Milestones – The First YearTips for Relieving Teething PainTips for Relieving Teething PainBenefits of Making Your Own Baby FoodBenefits of Making Your Own Baby Food

Home › Baby Names Directory › Manford

Manford

♂ Boy

How to Pronounce Manford

Pronounced MAN-ferd /ˈmæn.fɚːd/Medium

Meaning: Manford began as an English place-surname, generally read as 'ford by the shared or common land' (Old English gemaene, 'common', plus ford, 'river crossing'); like many surnames it was handed on as a given name in the early 1900s.Low

In 30 seconds: Manford is a surname-style boy's name from the early nineteen-hundreds, tied to the Old English idea of a 'ford by the common land' (said 'MAN-ferd').
💕 Browse more names
Origin LowEnglish
MeaningManford began as an English place-surname, generally read as 'ford by the shared or common land' (Old English gemaene, 'common', plus ford, 'river crossing'); like many surnames it was handed on as a given name in the early 1900s.
U.S. rank (1982)#6981 ↘ Falling
1982 U.S. births5 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)
Peak year1918
Total births (all-time)≈ 1,479

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 191818801982

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

Manford is one of the surname-as-first-name choices that dotted American birth records a century ago. The likeliest reading joins Old English gemaene, 'common land', to ford, a river crossing, so the name pictures a ford across shared ground.

It was never common, peaking at just a few dozen boys a year around the First World War and fading to rarity by mid-century; anyone named Manford today is almost certainly a grandfather or great-grandfather. It has not been part of the recent vintage revival.

Did you know? Manford belonged to the World-War-One generation: it was already scarce, cresting around 1918 at only a few dozen boys a year, and had all but disappeared by the nineteen-eighties.
Overall data confidence 55%
References — Manford — English surname-name; Old English ford element

Variations

ManfredMannford

Nicknames

MannyFord

Famous Bearers

  • Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Manford…

Sanford— another 'ford' surname-name of the same vintage era
Radford— a like place-surname ending in -ford used as a first name
Clifford— a familiar -ford surname-name with the same old-fashioned weight
Wilford— a rare early-1900s -ford name with the same rural sound

Explore names like Manford

By themerarevintagesurname-name

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Manford mean?

Manford comes from an English surname and is usually read as 'ford by the common land', from Old English roots.

How do you pronounce Manford?

It's said MAN-ferd /ˈmæn.fɚːd/ — two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Manford a boy or girl name?

Manford is used as a boy's name.

How popular is Manford?

Manford was always rare and is a genuine early-twentieth-century antique, scarce since mid-century.

💬 Ask Nia