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Telford
How to Pronounce Telford
Pronounced TEL-ferd /ˈtɛl.fərd/Low
Meaning: Telford is an English surname and, more famously now, a Shropshire town named in the twentieth century after Thomas Telford, the great Scottish civil engineer. The surname's ending -ford points to a river crossing, and as a first name Telford carries that engineering-heritage association along with its surname roots.Low
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
Telford is an English surname and place-name whose best-known bearer, Thomas Telford, was one of Britain's foremost civil engineers; a Shropshire new town was later named in his honor. The -ford ending marks a ford or crossing, and as a given name Telford blends that landscape sense with the engineer's reputation.
It was never common as a first name, given to only around fifteen boys a year even at its peak in the later nineteen-thirties, and it stayed scarce. A boy named Telford then would be a grandfather or great-grandfather today.
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Frequently Asked
What does the name Telford mean?
It is an English surname and place-name; the Shropshire town was named for the engineer Thomas Telford, and -ford marks a crossing.
How do you pronounce Telford?
It is said TEL-ferd /ˈtɛl.fərd/, two syllables with the stress on the first.
Is Telford a boy or girl name?
Telford is used as a boy's name.
How popular is Telford?
Telford was always rare in the United States, given to only about fifteen boys a year even at its peak in the later nineteen-thirties.