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

Belfon, 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 Belfon surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Belfon in America

Belfon is the 68949th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Belfon surname appeared 285 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 Belfon.

We can also compare 2010 data for Belfon 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 Belfon

The surname Belfon has its origins in the Normandy region of France, tracing back to the early 11th century. It is derived from the Old French words "bel" meaning "beautiful" and "fon" from the Latin "fundum" meaning "land" or "estate". The name likely referred to someone who owned or resided on a particularly scenic or picturesque property.

One of the earliest documented mentions of the Belfon name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of landholdings and settlements across England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The entry refers to a "Robert de Belfon" holding lands in the county of Wiltshire.

By the 13th century, variations of the name began to appear in records across northern France and parts of England. Spellings such as Belfoun, Belfoyn, and Belfoine were common during this period. A notable early bearer of the name was Sir William Belfon, a Norman knight who fought alongside Richard the Lionheart during the Third Crusade in the late 12th century.

The Belfon name can also be traced to various place names in Normandy, such as the village of Beaufour, which translates to "beautiful estate" or "beautiful land". It is likely that some Belfon families took their surname from these locales.

Throughout the Middle Ages and Renaissance period, several Belfon individuals achieved prominence in various fields. Jean Belfon (1492-1554) was a French scholar and humanist who contributed to the study of classical literature and philosophy. Marie Belfon (1598-1676) was a renowned French painter and portraitist during the Baroque era, known for her depictions of aristocratic subjects.

In England, the Belfon name was associated with landed gentry and the aristocracy. Sir Roger Belfon (1624-1693) was a prominent landowner and Member of Parliament during the reign of Charles II. His son, Edward Belfon (1659-1721), was a noted botanist and horticulturist who introduced several new plant species to England from his extensive travels.

As the centuries progressed, the Belfon name spread across Europe and eventually to other parts of the world through emigration and exploration. Today, while not a particularly common surname, it remains represented in various countries and cultures, carrying with it the legacy of its Norman roots and associations with beauty, land, and distinction.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Belfon

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

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

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

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