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

Beaufort, 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 Beaufort surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Beaufort in America

Beaufort is the 32562nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Beaufort surname appeared 706 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Beaufort.

We can also compare 2010 data for Beaufort 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 Beaufort

The surname Beaufort is of French origin, deriving from the Old French words 'beau' meaning beautiful and 'fort' meaning strong or fortified. It is believed to have originated as a place name referring to a fortified town or castle situated in a picturesque location.

The name can be traced back to the 11th century in Normandy, where it was commonly used among the Norman nobility. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Domesday Book, a survey commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, which mentions several landholders with the surname Beaufort.

During the Middle Ages, the Beaufort family rose to prominence in England, with several members holding important positions in the royal court and the church. John of Gaunt, the Duke of Lancaster and son of King Edward III, had four illegitimate children with his mistress Katherine Swynford, who were legitimized and given the surname Beaufort.

One of the most notable figures with this surname was Joan Beaufort (1379-1440), the daughter of John of Gaunt and Katherine Swynford. She was the Queen of Scotland through her marriage to King James I of Scotland. Her grandson, Henry Beaufort (1401-1447), became a prominent clergyman and served as the Bishop of Winchester and later as a Cardinal.

In the 15th century, Edmund Beaufort (1406-1455), another descendant of John of Gaunt, was made the Duke of Somerset and played a significant role in the Wars of the Roses. He was a prominent military commander and was killed at the First Battle of St Albans in 1455.

Another notable figure with the surname was Francis Beaufort (1774-1857), an Irish hydrographer and naval officer. He is best known for introducing the Beaufort Wind Scale, which is still used today to measure wind speeds at sea.

Over time, the surname Beaufort has been found in various spellings, such as Beauford, Beauforth, and Beauffort, reflecting regional variations and adaptations. The name has also been associated with several place names in England, France, and other parts of Europe, including the town of Beaufort in Luxembourg and the Beaufort Sea in the Arctic Ocean.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Beaufort

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

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 Beaufort 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 Beaufort 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 Beaufort was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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