2000
#1,064
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 30,050
First available Census row
Per 100,000 11.14
Uncommon Last name
Alford
Old English surname derived from a place name meaning "old fort" or "Aelf's ford."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 33,996 Americans carry the last name Alford. That puts it at #1,165 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 9.92 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 10,082 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Alford surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Alford with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
34K
1 in 10,082
Census rank
#1,165
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
9.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
30K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 29,646 bearers of the surname Alford in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 9.92 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1165th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Alford, the largest self-reported group is White at 61.9%. The next largest groups are Black (29.8%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Alford
The surname Alford is of English origin, specifically from the counties of Lincolnshire and Somerset. It is believed to have emerged as an occupational name during the medieval period, derived from the Old English words "ald" meaning "old" and "ford" meaning "a shallow river crossing."
The earliest recorded use of the name dates back to the late 12th century, with a mention of a William de Aldeforde in the county of Somerset in 1195. This suggests that the name was initially associated with individuals who lived near an old ford or river crossing.
In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as Aldeford, Oldeford, and Alford, reflecting the variations in spelling and pronunciation common during that time. One notable historical reference is the appearance of a Roger de Aldeford in the Hundred Rolls of Huntingdonshire in 1273.
The Domesday Book, compiled in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the surname Alford, but it does mention several places with similar names, such as Alford in Lincolnshire and Aldford in Cheshire, suggesting that the name may have originated from these locations.
Over the centuries, the Alford surname has been associated with several notable individuals. One of the earliest recorded was Sir John Alford (c. 1310 - c. 1380), a member of the English gentry and a landowner in Somerset. Another prominent figure was Michael Alford (1587 - 1652), an English Puritan minister and author known for his work "The Admirable Life of the Renowned Dr. John Preston."
In the 18th century, Sir Samuel Alford (1756 - 1836), a British naval officer, played a significant role in the Napoleonic Wars, serving as a captain and later as a rear admiral. John Alford (1770 - 1843), an English clergyman and author, published several works on theology and philosophy, including "The Life of Samuel Johnson, LL.D."
In the realm of literature, Henry Alford (1810 - 1871) was a renowned English churchman, poet, and scholar. He served as the Dean of Canterbury and made significant contributions to the study of the New Testament.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals who have carried the surname Alford throughout history, reflecting its enduring presence and significance across various fields and eras.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Alford
Among Census respondents with the surname Alford, the largest self-reported group is White at 61.9%. The next largest groups are Black (29.8%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Alford bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Alford surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White61.9% · 18,338
- Black or African American29.8% · 8,825
- Two or more races4.1% · 1,204
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 924
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 217
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 138
Timeline
Historical Census data for Alford
Alford appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#1,140
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 30,771
+721 bearers (+2.4%)
Per 100,000 10.43
Rank movement Down 76 places
2020
#1,165
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 29,646
-1,125 bearers (-3.7%)
Per 100,000 9.92
Rank movement Down 25 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,064 | 30,050 | 11.14 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,140 | 30,771 | 10.43 | +721 bearers (+2.4%) | Down 76 places |
| 2020 | #1,165 | 29,646 | 9.92 | -1,125 bearers (-3.7%) | Down 25 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Alford surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,140 | #1,165 | -2.2% |
| Count | 30,771 | 29,646 | -3.7% |
| Per 100K | 10.43 | 9.92 | -4.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Alford bearers went from 30,771 to 29,646 (-3.7% change). The surname moved down 25 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,140 to #1,165.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Alford
FAQ
Alford surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Alford?
Name Census estimates that about 33,996 living Americans carry the surname Alford. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 10,082 residents.
How common is Alford?
Alford ranks #1,165 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 9.92 per 100,000 residents, which is about 10 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 29,646 people with the surname Alford. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (33,996), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 9.92 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 9.92 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 10 of them to have the surname Alford.
Has Alford become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Alford went from 30,771 recorded bearers to 29,646. That is a decrease of 1,125 (-3.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,140 to #1,165.
What does the Census say about the background of Alford?
Among Census respondents with the surname Alford, the largest self-reported group is White at 61.9%. The next largest groups are Black (29.8%) and Two or More Races (4.1%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Alford in the 2020 Census, accounting for 61.9% (18,338 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Alford appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (61.9%), Black (29.8%), Two or More Races (4.1%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Alford (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Alford mean?
Old English surname derived from a place name meaning "old fort" or "Aelf's ford." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Alford (9.92 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Alford?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.