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

Bradford, 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 Bradford surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bradford in America

Bradford is the 628th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bradford surname appeared 54,015 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 18 people would have the surname Bradford.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bradford 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 Bradford

The surname BRADFORD is an English name derived from the place name Bradford in West Yorkshire, England. It originates from the Old English words "brad" meaning broad and "ford" meaning a shallow place for crossing a river or stream. The place name Bradford was first recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as "Bredford."

Bradford was a significant settlement in the Middle Ages, and the name likely referred to a broad ford across the River Aire. The surname BRADFORD emerged as a locational name, given to people who came from or lived in Bradford. Early records show variations in spelling, such as Bradeford, Bradforde, and Bratford.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname BRADFORD is William de Bradford, who is mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1166. Another early bearer of the name was Sir John de Bradford, a 14th-century English knight who served under Edward III during the Hundred Years' War.

In the 16th century, William Bradford (1590-1657) was a prominent figure among the Pilgrims who sailed on the Mayflower to establish the Plymouth Colony in North America. He served as the governor of Plymouth Colony for over 30 years and wrote the influential work "Of Plymouth Plantation."

Andrew Bradford (1686-1742) was an American printer and journalist who established one of the first newspapers in the American colonies, the American Weekly Mercury, in Philadelphia in 1719.

Samuel Bradford (1652-1708) was an English-born printer who established the first printing press in the Middle Colonies of British America in Philadelphia in 1685.

William Bradford (1722-1795) was an American lawyer and judge who served as the second Attorney General of the United States under President George Washington.

Throughout history, the surname BRADFORD has been associated with notable individuals in various fields, reflecting its English origins and its presence in both Britain and the American colonies.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bradford

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

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

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

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