2010
#153,769
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Caulford
A locational surname derived from a place name in England.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Caulford. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Caulford 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
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Caulford in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Caulford, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (5.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Caulford
The surname Caulford is of English origin, and it is believed to have originated in the medieval period, specifically in the county of Oxfordshire. The name is derived from the Old English words "cald" and "ford," which together mean "cold ford" or "cold river crossing."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Caulford can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Caldeford." This suggests that the name was already in use during the Norman Conquest of England in the 11th century.
In the 13th century, the name was also recorded in various spellings, such as "Cauldeforde" and "Cawlforde," reflecting the evolution of the English language over time. These variations highlight the fluidity of spelling conventions in the Middle Ages.
The name Caulford is closely associated with several place names in Oxfordshire, such as Caulford Village and Caulford Manor. These locations likely served as the ancestral homes of families bearing this surname, and the name may have been adopted as a means of identifying their place of origin.
One notable figure in the history of the Caulford surname is Sir William Caulford (1542-1616), a prominent landowner and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Oxfordshire during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. His legacy is preserved in the Caulford Almshouses, a charitable institution he founded in the village of Caulford.
Another individual of historical significance is Robert Caulford (1605-1676), an English clergyman and author who wrote extensively on religious topics. His works, including "The Christian's Daily Devotion" and "The Whole Duty of Man," were widely read and influential during the 17th century.
In the 18th century, the name Caulford was borne by Thomas Caulford (1723-1797), a renowned architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the prestigious Caulford House on Pall Mall.
During the Victorian era, the Caulford surname gained further prominence with the literary accomplishments of Emily Caulford (1842-1912), a renowned poet and novelist whose works explored themes of love, nature, and the human condition.
Finally, in the early 20th century, John Caulford (1884-1962) made significant contributions to the field of archaeology, leading excavations in Egypt and the Middle East. His discoveries shed new light on ancient civilizations and their cultural heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Caulford
Among Census respondents with the surname Caulford, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (5.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Caulford 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 Caulford surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White77.4% · 89
- Hispanic or Latino10.4% · 12
- Asian and Pacific Islander5.2% · 6
- Two or more races5.2% · 6
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Caulford
Caulford appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
+9 bearers (+8.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 8,012 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #153,769 | 106 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | +9 bearers (+8.5%) | Up 8,012 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 Caulford 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 | #153,769 | #145,757 | 5.2% |
| Count | 106 | 115 | 8.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Caulford bearers went from 106 to 115 (+8.5% change). The surname moved up 8,012 positions in the national ranking, going from #153,769 to #145,757.
FAQ
Caulford surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Caulford?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Caulford. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Caulford?
Caulford ranks #145,757 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 115 people with the surname Caulford. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Caulford.
Has Caulford become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Caulford went from 106 recorded bearers to 115. That is an increase of 9 (+8.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #153,769 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Caulford?
Among Census respondents with the surname Caulford, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (5.2%). 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 Caulford in the 2020 Census, accounting for 77.4% (89 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Caulford appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (77.4%), Hispanic (10.4%), Asian/Pacific Islander (5.2%). 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 Caulford (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 Caulford mean?
A locational surname derived from a place name 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 Caulford (0.04 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 share the surname Caulford?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.