2000
#13,604
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,047
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.76
Rare Last name
Bodiford
A surname of English origin, derived from a place name meaning "ford by a messenger's house."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,306 Americans carry the last name Bodiford. That puts it at #14,316 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.67 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 148,636 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bodiford 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.
Bearers in the US
2.3K
1 in 148,636
Census rank
#14,316
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,011 bearers of the surname Bodiford in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.67 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14316th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bodiford, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.9%. The next largest groups are Black (16.6%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bodiford
The surname Bodiford originated in England, with the earliest known recorded instances tracing back to the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "bod" and "ford," which translate to "dwelling" and "ford" or "shallow river crossing," respectively. The name likely referred to someone who lived near a shallow river crossing or a ford.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname Bodiford can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which were a census-like record of landowners in England at that time. The name appeared as "Buddeford" in these rolls, which points to the name's evolution from its Old English roots.
In the 14th century, the surname appeared in various forms, such as "Bodeford" and "Boddyford," reflecting the variations in spelling and pronunciation common during that era. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and the scribes' interpretations of the name.
The Bodiford surname has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One such individual was Sir John Bodiford (1456-1522), a prominent English landowner and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Somerset in the early 16th century.
Another notable bearer of the Bodiford name was William Bodiford (1605-1676), an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious works during the 17th century.
In the 18th century, the name was associated with John Bodiford (1725-1799), a British naval officer who served during the American Revolutionary War and rose to the rank of Captain.
The 19th century saw the birth of Elizabeth Bodiford (1829-1912), an English author and journalist who wrote extensively on social and political issues of her time.
More recently, the name has been carried by individuals such as Charles Bodiford (1913-1997), an American author and historian who wrote several books on the history of the American South.
While the Bodiford surname has its origins in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, and Australia, through migration and immigration patterns over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bodiford
Among Census respondents with the surname Bodiford, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.9%. The next largest groups are Black (16.6%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Bodiford 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 Bodiford surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White73.9% · 1,487
- Black or African American16.6% · 334
- Two or more races4.2% · 85
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 78
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 14
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 13
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bodiford
Bodiford 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
#14,342
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,086
+39 bearers (+1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.71
Rank movement Down 738 places
2020
#14,316
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,011
-75 bearers (-3.6%)
Per 100,000 0.67
Rank movement Up 26 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,604 | 2,047 | 0.76 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,342 | 2,086 | 0.71 | +39 bearers (+1.9%) | Down 738 places |
| 2020 | #14,316 | 2,011 | 0.67 | -75 bearers (-3.6%) | Up 26 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 Bodiford 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 | #14,342 | #14,316 | 0.2% |
| Count | 2,086 | 2,011 | -3.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.71 | 0.67 | -5.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bodiford bearers went from 2,086 to 2,011 (-3.6% change). The surname moved up 26 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,342 to #14,316.
FAQ
Bodiford surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bodiford?
Name Census estimates that about 2,306 living Americans carry the surname Bodiford. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 148,636 residents.
How common is Bodiford?
Bodiford ranks #14,316 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.67 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 2,011 people with the surname Bodiford. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,306), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.67 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.67 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 Bodiford.
Has Bodiford become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bodiford went from 2,086 recorded bearers to 2,011. That is a decrease of 75 (-3.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #14,342 to #14,316.
What does the Census say about the background of Bodiford?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bodiford, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.9%. The next largest groups are Black (16.6%) and Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Bodiford in the 2020 Census, accounting for 73.9% (1,487 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bodiford appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (73.9%), Black (16.6%), Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Bodiford (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 Bodiford mean?
A surname of English origin, derived from a place name meaning "ford by a messenger's house." 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 Bodiford (0.67 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 are called Bodiford?
See how many people have the last name Bodiford on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.