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

Cundiff, 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 Cundiff surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Cundiff in America

Cundiff is the 5531st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Cundiff surname appeared 6,283 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Cundiff.

We can also compare 2010 data for Cundiff 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 Cundiff

The surname Cundiff originated in England, with the earliest records dating back to the late 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "cundith," which means "to make known" or "to announce." This suggests that the name may have been given to a town crier or messenger in medieval times.

The Cundiff surname is predominantly found in the northern counties of England, particularly Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1194, where a person named Robert Cundith is mentioned.

In the 13th century, the surname appears in various forms, such as Cundit, Cundy, and Cundye. These variations likely emerged due to regional dialects and scribal errors. A notable early record is from the Hundred Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1273, which mentions a William Cundye.

The Cundiff surname has also been associated with certain place names in England. For example, there is a village called Cundall in North Yorkshire, which may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the name in that region.

One of the earliest recorded Cundiffs was John Cundiff, who was born in Yorkshire in the late 15th century. He was a prominent landowner and is mentioned in several historical documents from that time period.

Another notable figure with the Cundiff surname was Sir Thomas Cundiff, a soldier who fought in the English Civil War during the 17th century. He was born in Lincolnshire in 1610 and played a significant role in several battles, including the Battle of Naseby in 1645.

In the 18th century, a prominent Cundiff family lived in the village of Kirby Cane in Norfolk. The patriarch, William Cundiff (1725-1798), was a successful farmer and landowner, and several of his descendants continued to live in the area for generations.

Another individual worth mentioning is Reverend John Cundiff (1768-1849), an Anglican clergyman who served as the Rector of Barton-upon-Humber in Lincolnshire for over 40 years.

In more recent times, a notable Cundiff was Charles Cundiff (1859-1942), a British architect who designed several prominent buildings in London, including the Goldsmiths' Hall and the Church of St. Dunstan-in-the-West.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Cundiff

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

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

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

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