2000
#7,249
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,243
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.57
Rare Last name
Danforth
From an English place name meaning "ford near a hill" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,655 Americans carry the last name Danforth. That puts it at #7,836 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.36 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 73,631 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Danforth 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 Danforth with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.7K
1 in 73,631
Census rank
#7,836
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,059 bearers of the surname Danforth in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.36 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7836th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Danforth, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.0%. The next largest groups are Black (4.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Danforth
Among Census respondents with the surname Danforth, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.0%. The next largest groups are Black (4.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Danforth 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 Danforth surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.0% · 3,329
- Black or African American4.9% · 199
- American Indian and Alaska Native4.7% · 192
- Two or more races3.9% · 159
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 144
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 36
Timeline
Historical Census data for Danforth
Danforth 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
#7,810
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,239
-4 bearers (-0.1%)
Per 100,000 1.44
Rank movement Down 561 places
2020
#7,836
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,059
-180 bearers (-4.2%)
Per 100,000 1.36
Rank movement Down 26 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,249 | 4,243 | 1.57 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,810 | 4,239 | 1.44 | -4 bearers (-0.1%) | Down 561 places |
| 2020 | #7,836 | 4,059 | 1.36 | -180 bearers (-4.2%) | Down 26 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 Danforth 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 | #7,810 | #7,836 | -0.3% |
| Count | 4,239 | 4,059 | -4.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.44 | 1.36 | -5.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Danforth bearers went from 4,239 to 4,059 (-4.2% change). The surname moved down 26 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,810 to #7,836.
FAQ
Danforth surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Danforth?
Name Census estimates that about 4,655 living Americans carry the surname Danforth. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 73,631 residents.
How common is Danforth?
Danforth ranks #7,836 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.36 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 4,059 people with the surname Danforth. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,655), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.36 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.36 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 Danforth.
Has Danforth become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Danforth went from 4,239 recorded bearers to 4,059. That is a decrease of 180 (-4.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,810 to #7,836.
What does the Census say about the background of Danforth?
Among Census respondents with the surname Danforth, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.0%. The next largest groups are Black (4.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (4.7%). 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 Danforth in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.0% (3,329 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Danforth appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.0%), Black (4.9%), American Indian/Alaska Native (4.7%). 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 Danforth (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 Danforth mean?
From an English place name meaning "ford near a hill" in Old English. 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 Danforth (1.36 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 Danforth?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.