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

Belford, 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 Belford surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Belford in America

Belford is the 12378th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Belford surname appeared 2,513 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 Belford.

We can also compare 2010 data for Belford 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 Belford

The surname Belford originates from England, with its roots traced back to the Middle Ages. It is a locational name derived from the village of Belford in Northumberland, which means "bell ford" or "bell crossing" in Old English. This suggests that the name may have originated from a location where bells were used to signal the safe crossing of a river or stream.

The earliest recorded mention of the name Belford can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Northumberland from the 12th century. These were records of financial accounts kept by the British government, indicating that individuals bearing this surname were living in the region during this period.

In the 13th century, variations of the spelling, such as Beleford and Belleford, appeared in various historical documents, including the Hundred Rolls. These were administrative records compiled during the reign of King Edward I, which provides evidence of the name's continued use and its association with the village of Belford.

One notable individual bearing this surname was Sir William Belford, a prominent English landowner and knight who lived in the 14th century. He was known for his involvement in the Hundred Years' War and his service to King Edward III.

In the 16th century, the name Belford gained further recognition with the birth of William Belford (1530-1594), an English author and translator who is known for his works on classical literature and philosophy.

Another famous bearer of the Belford surname was John Belford (1688-1757), an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious texts and served as the rector of a parish in Northumberland.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the name Belford also appeared in various parish records and historical documents throughout England, indicating its continued presence and geographic spread beyond its original roots in Northumberland.

One notable example from this period is William Belford (1730-1801), an English naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the American Revolutionary War and the French Revolutionary Wars.

As the centuries progressed, the Belford surname continued to be carried by individuals of note, including the 19th-century English writer and journalist James Belford (1828-1892), who was a prominent contributor to several literary publications of his time.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Belford

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

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

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

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