2000
#6,430
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,872
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.81
Rare Last name
Burford
A locational surname referring to someone from any of the places named Burford in England.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,255 Americans carry the last name Burford. That puts it at #7,056 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.53 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 65,224 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Burford 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Burford with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.3K
1 in 65,224
Census rank
#7,056
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,583 bearers of the surname Burford in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.53 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7056th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Burford, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.0%. The next largest groups are Black (14.8%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Burford
The surname Burford has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is a locational name, derived from the town of Burford in Oxfordshire. The name itself is believed to come from the Old English words "burh" meaning "fortified place" and "ford" meaning "a shallow river crossing."
One of the earliest known references to the name Burford can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which mentions the town of Burford in Oxfordshire. This historical record indicates that the name was in use during the late 11th century.
In the 13th century, the spelling "Burford" appears in various records, such as the Pipe Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1230. This suggests that the name had become established as a surname by this time.
One notable bearer of the name Burford was Sir John Burford (c. 1420 - c. 1480), an English soldier and landowner who fought in the Wars of the Roses. He was knighted for his service to King Edward IV.
Another historical figure with the surname Burford was Richard Burford (1571 - 1641), an English clergyman who served as the Rector of Sefton in Merseyside. He was known for his work in promoting education in the region.
In the 17th century, the name Burford was recorded in various parish registers across England. For instance, the baptism of Thomas Burford was recorded in the parish of St. Mary's, Burford, Oxfordshire, in 1628.
Another notable bearer of the name was Samuel Burford (1639 - 1719), an English Nonconformist minister and author. He wrote several religious works, including "The Doctrine of the Scripture" and "A Vindication of the Worship of God."
In the 18th century, the surname Burford appeared in various legal documents and records. One example is the will of John Burford, a yeoman farmer from Gloucestershire, dated 1742.
The name Burford has also been associated with several place names in England, such as Burford Hill in Worcestershire and Burford Meadow in Oxfordshire. These place names likely derive from the same Old English roots as the surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Burford
Among Census respondents with the surname Burford, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.0%. The next largest groups are Black (14.8%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Burford 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 Burford surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White77.0% · 3,530
- Black or African American14.8% · 677
- Two or more races3.7% · 171
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 155
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 38
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Burford
Burford 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
#6,861
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,905
+33 bearers (+0.7%)
Per 100,000 1.66
Rank movement Down 431 places
2020
#7,056
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,583
-322 bearers (-6.6%)
Per 100,000 1.53
Rank movement Down 195 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,430 | 4,872 | 1.81 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,861 | 4,905 | 1.66 | +33 bearers (+0.7%) | Down 431 places |
| 2020 | #7,056 | 4,583 | 1.53 | -322 bearers (-6.6%) | Down 195 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 Burford 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 | #6,861 | #7,056 | -2.8% |
| Count | 4,905 | 4,583 | -6.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.66 | 1.53 | -7.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Burford bearers went from 4,905 to 4,583 (-6.6% change). The surname moved down 195 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,861 to #7,056.
FAQ
Burford surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Burford?
Name Census estimates that about 5,255 living Americans carry the surname Burford. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 65,224 residents.
How common is Burford?
Burford ranks #7,056 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.53 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,583 people with the surname Burford. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,255), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.53 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.53 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Burford.
Has Burford become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Burford went from 4,905 recorded bearers to 4,583. That is a decrease of 322 (-6.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,861 to #7,056.
What does the Census say about the background of Burford?
Among Census respondents with the surname Burford, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.0%. The next largest groups are Black (14.8%) and Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Burford in the 2020 Census, accounting for 77.0% (3,530 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Burford appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (77.0%), Black (14.8%), Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Burford (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 Burford mean?
A locational surname referring to someone from any of the places named Burford in England. 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 Burford (1.53 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 Burford?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.