2000
#21,105
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,160
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.43
Rare Last name
Basford
A surname derived from an English place name meaning "broad ford" or "broad crossing."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,180 Americans carry the last name Basford. That puts it at #25,212 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.34 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 290,470 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Basford 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 Basford with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
1.2K
1 in 290,470
Census rank
#25,212
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,029 bearers of the surname Basford in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.34 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 25212th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Basford, 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 Basford
The surname Basford is of English origin, with its roots traced back to the late 11th century. It is a locational name derived from the place name "Basford," which refers to various locations across England, including parishes in Nottinghamshire, Staffordshire, and Cheshire.
The name Basford is believed to be derived from the Old English words "bæs" (a name of unknown meaning) and "ford" (a shallow river crossing). This suggests that the original bearers of the surname may have resided near a ford associated with someone or something called "Bæs."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Basford can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which mentions a place called "Basceforde" in Nottinghamshire. This entry provides evidence of the name's existence during the Norman conquest of England.
In the 13th century, records show individuals with the surname Basford residing in various parts of England. For instance, in 1273, a Thomas de Basford is mentioned in the Hundred Rolls of Nottinghamshire. Additionally, the Pipe Rolls of 1230 reference a Walter de Basseford in Leicestershire.
Notable individuals with the surname Basford throughout history include:
1. John Basford (c. 1566-1612), an English composer and organist who served at the Cathedral Church of Christ in Oxford.
2. James Basford (1796-1869), an English painter and engraver known for his landscapes and architectural drawings.
3. William Basford (1804-1893), a British architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings in Birmingham and the surrounding areas.
4. Eleanor Basford (1842-1920), a British educator and activist who campaigned for women's rights and the abolition of slavery.
5. Sir Richard Basford (1854-1932), a British civil engineer and inventor who developed early innovations in reinforced concrete construction.
The surname Basford has also been associated with various place names across England, such as Basford in Nottinghamshire, Basford in Staffordshire, and Basford Green in Cheshire. These place names likely originated from the same linguistic roots as the surname, further reinforcing the locational nature of the name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Basford
Among Census respondents with the surname Basford, 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 Basford 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 Basford surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.1% · 937
- Two or more races4.3% · 44
- Hispanic or Latino2.2% · 23
- Black or African American1.8% · 19
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Basford
Basford 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
#23,222
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,098
-62 bearers (-5.3%)
Per 100,000 0.37
Rank movement Down 2,117 places
2020
#25,212
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,029
-69 bearers (-6.3%)
Per 100,000 0.34
Rank movement Down 1,990 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #21,105 | 1,160 | 0.43 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #23,222 | 1,098 | 0.37 | -62 bearers (-5.3%) | Down 2,117 places |
| 2020 | #25,212 | 1,029 | 0.34 | -69 bearers (-6.3%) | Down 1,990 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 Basford 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 | #23,222 | #25,212 | -8.6% |
| Count | 1,098 | 1,029 | -6.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.37 | 0.34 | -7.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Basford bearers went from 1,098 to 1,029 (-6.3% change). The surname moved down 1,990 positions in the national ranking, going from #23,222 to #25,212.
FAQ
Basford surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Basford?
Name Census estimates that about 1,180 living Americans carry the surname Basford. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 290,470 residents.
How common is Basford?
Basford ranks #25,212 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.34 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,029 people with the surname Basford. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,180), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.34 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.34 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Basford.
Has Basford become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Basford went from 1,098 recorded bearers to 1,029. That is a decrease of 69 (-6.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #23,222 to #25,212.
What does the Census say about the background of Basford?
Among Census respondents with the surname Basford, 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 Basford in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.1% (937 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Basford 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 Basford (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 Basford mean?
A surname derived from an English place name meaning "broad ford" or "broad crossing." 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 Basford (0.34 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 Basford?
If you just want to know how common the surname Basford is, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.