2000
#8,500
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,571
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.32
Rare Last name
Comfort
An English occupational surname denoting a person who derived their livelihood from making or selling comforters or quilts.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,968 Americans carry the last name Comfort. That puts it at #9,071 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.16 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 86,380 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Comfort 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 Comfort with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.0K
1 in 86,380
Census rank
#9,071
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,460 bearers of the surname Comfort in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.16 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9071st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Comfort, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.5%. The next largest groups are Black (7.2%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Comfort
The surname "Comfort" is of English origin, and it is believed to have emerged during the late medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century. The name is derived from the Old French word "confort," which means "comfort" or "consolation." This word, in turn, traces its roots back to the Latin word "confortare," meaning "to strengthen greatly."
The name "Comfort" is believed to have been used initially as a nickname or a descriptive name, possibly referring to someone who provided comfort or consolation to others in times of distress or hardship. It is likely that the name was first adopted by individuals who were known for their compassionate and supportive nature within their communities.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname "Comfort" can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire, England, from the year 1327, which mentions a person named "William Comfort." This suggests that the name was already in use during the early 14th century in England.
The name "Comfort" has been associated with various place names throughout England, such as Compton and Comberford. It is possible that some instances of the surname may have originated from these place names or their older spellings, reflecting the residence or origin of the individuals who bore the name.
Several notable individuals have borne the surname "Comfort" throughout history. One example is William Comfort (1742-1825), an American Quaker and philanthropist who was instrumental in establishing the first anti-slavery societies in the United States. Another notable figure is John Comfort (1835-1905), an English architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Royal College of Surgeons.
Other individuals with the surname "Comfort" include Sir John Comfort (1789-1855), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars, and Benjamin Comfort (1838-1909), an American landscape painter known for his depictions of the Hudson River Valley.
It is worth mentioning that the surname "Comfort" has also been recorded with various spellings throughout history, such as Comforth, Comforte, and Comfert, reflecting the evolution of language and local variations in pronunciation and spelling.
Overall, the surname "Comfort" has a rich historical background, rooted in the English language and culture, and has been borne by individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Comfort
Among Census respondents with the surname Comfort, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.5%. The next largest groups are Black (7.2%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Comfort 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 Comfort surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.5% · 2,890
- Black or African American7.2% · 250
- Two or more races4.0% · 139
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 133
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 30
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 18
Timeline
Historical Census data for Comfort
Comfort 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
#9,155
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,564
-7 bearers (-0.2%)
Per 100,000 1.21
Rank movement Down 655 places
2020
#9,071
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,460
-104 bearers (-2.9%)
Per 100,000 1.16
Rank movement Up 84 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,500 | 3,571 | 1.32 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,155 | 3,564 | 1.21 | -7 bearers (-0.2%) | Down 655 places |
| 2020 | #9,071 | 3,460 | 1.16 | -104 bearers (-2.9%) | Up 84 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 Comfort 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 | #9,155 | #9,071 | 0.9% |
| Count | 3,564 | 3,460 | -2.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.21 | 1.16 | -4.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Comfort bearers went from 3,564 to 3,460 (-2.9% change). The surname moved up 84 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,155 to #9,071.
FAQ
Comfort surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Comfort?
Name Census estimates that about 3,968 living Americans carry the surname Comfort. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 86,380 residents.
How common is Comfort?
Comfort ranks #9,071 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.16 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 3,460 people with the surname Comfort. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,968), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.16 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.16 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 Comfort.
Has Comfort become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Comfort went from 3,564 recorded bearers to 3,460. That is a decrease of 104 (-2.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #9,155 to #9,071.
What does the Census say about the background of Comfort?
Among Census respondents with the surname Comfort, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.5%. The next largest groups are Black (7.2%) and Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Comfort in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.5% (2,890 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Comfort appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.5%), Black (7.2%), Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Comfort (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 Comfort mean?
An English occupational surname denoting a person who derived their livelihood from making or selling comforters or quilts. 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 Comfort (1.16 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 Americans have the surname Comfort?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.