Find out how popular the last name Beauford is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Beauford.

Beauford, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Beauford surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Beauford in America

Beauford is the 16575th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Beauford surname appeared 1,731 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Beauford.

We can also compare 2010 data for Beauford to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Beauford

The surname Beauford originated in England during the Middle Ages, deriving from the Old French words "beau" meaning "beautiful" and "fort" meaning "strong" or "fortified." It was likely a descriptive name initially applied to someone who lived near a beautiful or strong fort or castle.

The earliest known record of the Beauford name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is spelled "Belforde." This entry refers to a landowner in Lincolnshire, suggesting the name's roots in that region. Over time, various spellings emerged, including Beaufort, Beauforde, and the modern Beauford.

In the 13th century, a notable bearer of the name was Sir John de Beauford (c. 1218-1274), a knight and landowner in Warwickshire. His descendant, Sir Thomas Beauford (c. 1370-1428), was a military commander who served under King Henry V during the Hundred Years' War.

The Beauford name also has ties to the aristocracy. In the 15th century, John Beaufort (1373-1410), the son of John of Gaunt and his mistress Katherine Swynford, was legitimized by an act of Parliament and became the first Earl of Somerset. His descendants continued to hold prominent positions in English society.

Another significant figure was Cardinal Henry Beaufort (c. 1375-1447), a powerful churchman and Chancellor of England during the reign of King Henry VI. He was also the Bishop of Winchester and played a crucial role in the resolution of the Western Schism in the Catholic Church.

In the literary world, Francis Beauford (1592-1668) was a renowned English poet and dramatist during the 17th century. His works, including "The Psyche" and several plays, earned him recognition among his contemporaries.

The Beauford surname also has connections to place names. For instance, the village of Beauford in Somerset, England, may have influenced the name's spelling and usage in that region. Additionally, the town of Beaufort in North Carolina, founded in the early 18th century, likely derived its name from the Beauford/Beaufort lineage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Beauford

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Beauford.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Beauford was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Beauford has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Beauford was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Beauford, please contact us.

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