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

Danforth, 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 Danforth surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Danforth in America

Danforth is the 7810th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Danforth surname appeared 4,239 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Danforth.

We can also compare 2010 data for Danforth 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 Danforth

The surname Danforth originated in England, and its roots can be traced back to the Anglo-Saxon period, which lasted from the 5th to the 11th century. The name is derived from the Old English words "denu" meaning valley and "ford" meaning a shallow place where a river or stream can be crossed. Thus, the name likely referred to someone who lived near a valley or a shallow river crossing.

The earliest known record of the name Danforth appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of land ownership and taxation commissioned by William the Conqueror. The Domesday Book mentions a person named Danforth residing in Oxfordshire.

In the 13th century, the name was recorded as "de Deneford" and "de Daneford" in various medieval records and manuscripts. This spelling variation likely reflects the name's connection to specific place names such as Denford or Danford, which were small villages or settlements located near valleys or fords.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Danforth was John Danforth, who was born in Cambridgeshire, England, in the late 15th century. Another notable figure was Sir Thomas Danforth (1622-1699), a colonial leader and landowner in Massachusetts Bay Colony.

In the 17th century, the name gained prominence in New England, particularly in Massachusetts, where several members of the Danforth family played influential roles in colonial society. One such figure was Samuel Danforth (1626-1674), a Puritan minister and author who served as the deputy governor of Massachusetts Bay Colony.

Another notable individual was Thomas Danforth (1622-1699), who served as the president of the Province of Maine and the deputy governor of Massachusetts Bay Colony. He was also a prominent landowner and one of the founders of Harvard College.

In the 18th century, the name continued to be associated with prominent figures, including Jonathan Danforth (1712-1777), a lawyer and judge in Massachusetts, and Thomas Danforth (1759-1835), a Revolutionary War soldier and a member of the Massachusetts General Court.

Throughout history, the surname Danforth has been closely tied to its English origins and has been carried by individuals who played significant roles in various fields, ranging from colonial leadership to religion and law.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Danforth

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

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

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

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