Meaning and background
The story behind Bedford
Bedford is an English surname rooted in particular places. The Dictionary of American Family Names names Bedford in Bedfordshire, another Bedford in Lancashire, and Bedforth in Yorkshire as possible sources. For the first two places, it explains the older elements as the personal name Bēda and a river ford. That gives Bedford a specific settlement history, rather than a literal modern-English description involving a bed.
- Origin
- English habitational surname from Bedford or Bedforth; the Bedford place names combine the personal name Bēda with ford. Source
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About Bedford
Recorded as a dog’s name
Bedford appears in 4 dog licence records in the 2016 New York City dataset.
How to read this count
These records cover New York City and may count the same dog in more than one licence period. They are not a national popularity ranking.
Pronunciation and rhythm
/bɛdfɚd/
US English sound sequence, converted from the CMU dictionary. Stress marks are shown separately.
Stress on the first syllable in the recorded US readings.
View dictionary notation
/bɛdfɚd/ · primary stress on syllable 1B EH1 D F ER0 D
These are US dictionary readings. Personal, regional and other language pronunciations may differ.
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Sources and research notes (2)
- New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene NYC Dog Licensing Dataset — all seven available extract years, retrieved 24 October 2026 — Recorded name spellings in NYC licence-period rows, extract years 2016–2018, 2022–2024 and 2026. Evidence selects one stated year per name. Annual snapshots overlap; never sum them as unique dogs. No national popularity, etymology or owner naming-intent claim.
- Carnegie Mellon University / CMU Sphinx maintainers CMU US English Pronouncing Dictionary — US English dictionary readings; not owner-specific or exhaustive multilingual pronunciation
References support the individual facts shown. A source link does not mean the entire profile has been verified.