Meaning and background
The story behind Bradford
Bradford is an English surname drawn from the many settlements sharing that name. The dictionary highlights the Yorkshire city and also lists places across several other counties. Their common components are Old English brād, “broad,” and ford, a river crossing. That gives Bradford a clear landscape meaning while leaving the particular ancestral settlement open; the best-known city is only one of the documented possibilities.
- Origin
- English habitational surname from places named with Old English “broad” and “ford.” Source
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About Bradford
Recorded as a dog’s name
Bradford appears in 3 dog licence records in the 2022 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
/bɹædfɚd/
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
/bɹædfɚd/ · primary stress on syllable 1B R AE1 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.