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

Bufford, 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 Bufford surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bufford in America

Bufford is the 12025th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bufford surname appeared 2,596 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 Bufford.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bufford 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 Bufford

The surname BUFFORD has its origins in England, emerging in the medieval period around the 12th or 13th century. It is believed to be derived from an Old English or Anglo-Saxon word "bufre," which referred to a type of meadow or pasture land. The name likely originated as a topographic surname, indicating that the original bearer resided near or owned land with such a meadow.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name BUFFORD can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Buckinghamshire from the year 1230, where it appears as "William de Bufford." This entry suggests that the name was already well-established by this time and may have been associated with a particular location or estate.

In the 14th century, the BUFFORD surname appears in various historical records, including the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1279, where a "John de Bufford" is mentioned. This document was a survey of landholders and their properties, indicating that the BUFFORD family had established themselves as landowners by this period.

The BUFFORD name has also been linked to the village of Bufford in Warwickshire, which may have been the original place of origin for some bearers of the surname. This village is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086, although the spelling at that time was closer to "Bugeford" or "Bugefort."

One notable historical figure bearing the BUFFORD surname was Sir John Bufford (c. 1350 - 1416), a English soldier and diplomat who served under King Henry IV. He was appointed as the Lieutenant of Calais, a strategically important port city in France, and played a significant role in the ongoing conflicts between England and France during the Hundred Years' War.

Another notable BUFFORD was William Bufford (c. 1480 - 1545), an English merchant and philanthropist from Bristol. He was a member of the Worshipful Company of Merchant Venturers and contributed to the construction of several churches and charitable institutions in the city.

In the 16th century, the BUFFORD surname appears in various parish records and legal documents, such as the Feet of Fines for Gloucestershire in 1573, which mentions a "Thomas Bufford."

During the English Civil War in the 17th century, a Richard Bufford (c. 1610 - 1680) is recorded as serving as a captain in the Parliamentarian forces under Oliver Cromwell. He fought in several battles, including the Battle of Naseby in 1645.

Another notable figure was John Bufford (1701 - 1780), an English clergyman and author who served as the rector of Titchwell in Norfolk. He published several works on theology and religious subjects during his lifetime.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bufford

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

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

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

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