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

Belfort, 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 Belfort surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Belfort in America

Belfort is the 67318th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Belfort surname appeared 293 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 Belfort.

We can also compare 2010 data for Belfort 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 Belfort

The surname Belfort has its origins in France, dating back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the French words "beau" meaning beautiful and "fort" meaning strong or fortified, suggesting that the name may have referred to a person who lived near a strong or fortified town or castle.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 13th century in the region of Franche-Comté in eastern France, particularly in the town of Belfort, which was a strategically important fortified town near the border with Switzerland. It is likely that the name originated as a place name referring to someone who came from or lived near this town.

In the famous Domesday Book, a record of landowners in England compiled in 1086 for William the Conqueror, there are no direct mentions of the name Belfort, as it was primarily a French name at that time. However, there are entries for similar-sounding names like Beaufort and Bellefort, which may have been variants or precursors to the modern spelling.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Jean de Belfort, a French nobleman and military commander who lived in the 14th century. He was a prominent figure during the Hundred Years' War between England and France, serving under King Charles VI.

Another notable figure was Pierre de Belfort, a French architect and engineer who lived in the 15th century. He is credited with designing and overseeing the construction of several important fortifications and defensive works in France, including the Château de Vincennes near Paris.

In the 17th century, Claude de Belfort was a French writer and philosopher who published works on ethics and moral philosophy. He was an influential figure in the intellectual circles of his time.

During the 18th century, Louis de Belfort was a French military officer who served in the Seven Years' War. He rose through the ranks and eventually became a general, known for his strategic skills and leadership on the battlefield.

In more recent times, one of the most famous individuals with the surname Belfort was the French actress and singer Françoise Belfort (1916-2019). She had a long and successful career in French cinema and theater, appearing in numerous films and stage productions over the course of several decades.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Belfort

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

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

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

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