2000
#12,022
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,384
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.88
Rare Last name
Bufford
From the Old English words "bēo," meaning bee, and "ford," referring to a shallow river crossing.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,742 Americans carry the last name Bufford. That puts it at #12,402 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.80 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 125,002 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bufford 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
2.7K
1 in 125,002
Census rank
#12,402
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,391 bearers of the surname Bufford in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.80 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12402nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bufford, the largest self-reported group is Black at 56.1%. The next largest groups are White (35.2%) and Two or More Races (5.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bufford
Among Census respondents with the surname Bufford, the largest self-reported group is Black at 56.1%. The next largest groups are White (35.2%) and Two or More Races (5.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Bufford 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 Bufford surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American56.1% · 1,342
- White35.2% · 841
- Two or more races5.6% · 133
- Hispanic or Latino2.2% · 53
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 13
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bufford
Bufford 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
#12,025
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,596
+212 bearers (+8.9%)
Per 100,000 0.88
Rank movement Down 3 places
2020
#12,402
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,391
-205 bearers (-7.9%)
Per 100,000 0.80
Rank movement Down 377 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,022 | 2,384 | 0.88 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,025 | 2,596 | 0.88 | +212 bearers (+8.9%) | Down 3 places |
| 2020 | #12,402 | 2,391 | 0.80 | -205 bearers (-7.9%) | Down 377 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 Bufford 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 | #12,025 | #12,402 | -3.1% |
| Count | 2,596 | 2,391 | -7.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.88 | 0.80 | -9.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bufford bearers went from 2,596 to 2,391 (-7.9% change). The surname moved down 377 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,025 to #12,402.
FAQ
Bufford surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bufford?
Name Census estimates that about 2,742 living Americans carry the surname Bufford. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 125,002 residents.
How common is Bufford?
Bufford ranks #12,402 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.80 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 2,391 people with the surname Bufford. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,742), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.8 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.80 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 Bufford.
Has Bufford become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bufford went from 2,596 recorded bearers to 2,391. That is a decrease of 205 (-7.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,025 to #12,402.
What does the Census say about the background of Bufford?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bufford, the largest self-reported group is Black at 56.1%. The next largest groups are White (35.2%) and Two or More Races (5.6%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Bufford in the 2020 Census, accounting for 56.1% (1,342 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bufford appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (56.1%), White (35.2%), Two or More Races (5.6%). 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 Bufford (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 Bufford mean?
From the Old English words "bēo," meaning bee, and "ford," referring to a shallow river crossing. 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 Bufford (0.80 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 Bufford?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.