2000
#14,335
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,916
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.71
Rare Last name
Bamford
From an English place name meaning "ford by a tree" or "crossing by a tree."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,236 Americans carry the last name Bamford. That puts it at #14,661 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.65 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 153,289 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bamford 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 Bamford with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.2K
1 in 153,289
Census rank
#14,661
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,950 bearers of the surname Bamford in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.65 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14661st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bamford, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Hispanic (2.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bamford
The surname Bamford is of English origin, derived from the place name Bamford, which is found in various locations across England, including Derbyshire, Cheshire, and Lancashire. The name is believed to have originated in the 11th or 12th century, and it is thought to be derived from the Old English words "bean" meaning bean or broad bean, and "ford" meaning a shallow river crossing.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Bamford can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Bamforde" in reference to a settlement in Derbyshire. This suggests that the name was already established in the region during the Norman conquest of England.
In the 13th century, the surname Bamford appeared in various records, including the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire in 1214, where a William de Bamford was mentioned. The "de" prefix indicates that the name was originally a locational surname, referring to someone from the place called Bamford.
One notable individual with the surname Bamford was Samuel Bamford (1788-1872), an English radical and writer who was involved in the Peterloo Massacre of 1819. He wrote several works, including "Passages in the Life of a Radical" and "Homely Rhymes," which provide insights into the lives of the working class during the Industrial Revolution.
Another figure of historical significance was Joseph Bamford (1788-1869), an English industrialist and philanthropist who established the Bamford Spinning Mills in Middleton, Lancashire. He played a significant role in the development of the textile industry in the region.
In the realm of sports, James Bamford (1883-1923) was an English professional footballer who played as a forward for several clubs, including Blackburn Rovers, Preston North End, and Burnley, during the early 20th century.
Moving to the academic sphere, Francis Bamford (1853-1929) was a British mathematician and educator who served as the Headmaster of Marlborough College from 1892 to 1911. He made significant contributions to the field of mathematics and was a respected figure in the world of education.
The name Bamford has also been associated with various place names, such as Bamford in Derbyshire, Bamford in Greater Manchester, and Bamford in Rochdale, Lancashire. These place names likely originated from the Old English words that formed the surname, reflecting the connection between the name and the geographical locations.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bamford
Among Census respondents with the surname Bamford, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Hispanic (2.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Bamford 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 Bamford surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.1% · 1,776
- Two or more races4.3% · 83
- Hispanic or Latino2.2% · 42
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.4% · 27
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 13
- Black or African American0.5% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bamford
Bamford 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
#15,246
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,929
+13 bearers (+0.7%)
Per 100,000 0.65
Rank movement Down 911 places
2020
#14,661
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,950
+21 bearers (+1.1%)
Per 100,000 0.65
Rank movement Up 585 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,335 | 1,916 | 0.71 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,246 | 1,929 | 0.65 | +13 bearers (+0.7%) | Down 911 places |
| 2020 | #14,661 | 1,950 | 0.65 | +21 bearers (+1.1%) | Up 585 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 Bamford 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 | #15,246 | #14,661 | 3.8% |
| Count | 1,929 | 1,950 | 1.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.65 | 0.65 | 0.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bamford bearers went from 1,929 to 1,950 (+1.1% change). The surname moved up 585 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,246 to #14,661.
FAQ
Bamford surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bamford?
Name Census estimates that about 2,236 living Americans carry the surname Bamford. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 153,289 residents.
How common is Bamford?
Bamford ranks #14,661 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.65 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,950 people with the surname Bamford. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,236), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.65 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.65 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Bamford.
Has Bamford become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bamford went from 1,929 recorded bearers to 1,950. That is an increase of 21 (+1.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #15,246 to #14,661.
What does the Census say about the background of Bamford?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bamford, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Hispanic (2.2%). 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 Bamford in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.1% (1,776 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bamford appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.1%), Two or More Races (4.3%), Hispanic (2.2%). 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 Bamford (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 Bamford mean?
From an English place name meaning "ford by a tree" or "crossing by a tree." 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 Bamford (0.65 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 common is the surname Bamford?
See how many Americans have the surname Bamford on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.