2000
#11,981
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,392
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.89
Rare Last name
Belford
A locational surname referring to someone from any of the places called Belford in England or Scotland.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,703 Americans carry the last name Belford. That puts it at #12,551 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.79 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 126,805 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Belford 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 Belford with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.7K
1 in 126,805
Census rank
#12,551
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,357 bearers of the surname Belford in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.79 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12551st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Belford, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.4%. The next largest groups are Black (14.6%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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In the 13th century, variations of the spelling, such as Beleford and Belleford, appeared in various historical documents, including the Hundred Rolls.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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Belford
Among Census respondents with the surname Belford, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.4%. The next largest groups are Black (14.6%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Belford 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 Belford surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White73.4% · 1,731
- Black or African American14.6% · 345
- Two or more races4.8% · 112
- Hispanic or Latino4.7% · 111
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 41
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 17
Timeline
Historical Census data for Belford
Belford 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
#12,378
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,513
+121 bearers (+5.1%)
Per 100,000 0.85
Rank movement Down 397 places
2020
#12,551
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,357
-156 bearers (-6.2%)
Per 100,000 0.79
Rank movement Down 173 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,981 | 2,392 | 0.89 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,378 | 2,513 | 0.85 | +121 bearers (+5.1%) | Down 397 places |
| 2020 | #12,551 | 2,357 | 0.79 | -156 bearers (-6.2%) | Down 173 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 Belford 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 | #12,378 | #12,551 | -1.4% |
| Count | 2,513 | 2,357 | -6.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.85 | 0.79 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Belford bearers went from 2,513 to 2,357 (-6.2% change). The surname moved down 173 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,378 to #12,551.
FAQ
Belford surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Belford?
Name Census estimates that about 2,703 living Americans carry the surname Belford. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 126,805 residents.
How common is Belford?
Belford ranks #12,551 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.79 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,357 people with the surname Belford. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,703), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.79 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.79 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Belford.
Has Belford become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Belford went from 2,513 recorded bearers to 2,357. That is a decrease of 156 (-6.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,378 to #12,551.
What does the Census say about the background of Belford?
Among Census respondents with the surname Belford, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.4%. The next largest groups are Black (14.6%) and Two or More Races (4.8%). 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 Belford in the 2020 Census, accounting for 73.4% (1,731 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Belford appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (73.4%), Black (14.6%), Two or More Races (4.8%). 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 Belford (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 Belford mean?
A locational surname referring to someone from any of the places called Belford in England or Scotland. 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 Belford (0.79 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 many people have the surname Belford?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.