Rutherford is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 18,061, reflecting a decline of 49 from the 18,110 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 320 from the 17,790 counted in the 1990 Census.Rutherford was formed as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on September 21, 1881, from portions of Union Township, based on the results of a referendum held on the previous day. The borough was named for John Rutherfurd, a U.S. Senator who owned land in the area.Rutherford has been called the "Borough of Trees" and "The First Borough of Bergen County".