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

Draft, 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 Draft surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Draft in America

Draft is the 80419th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Draft surname appeared 236 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Draft.

We can also compare 2010 data for Draft 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 Draft

The surname Draft has its origins in the Middle English word draght, which meant a team of draft animals or a group of people conscripted for labor. This term ultimately derives from the Old English drægan, meaning to draw or drag.

The name first emerged as an occupational surname in the 13th century, referring to individuals who were responsible for overseeing or managing teams of draft animals used for plowing, hauling, or other heavy labor tasks. It may also have been used to identify those who were conscripted for compulsory service or labor.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname Draft appears in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where one William le Draght is mentioned as residing in Oxfordshire. The spelling variations in these early records include Draght, Drayght, and Dravght, reflecting the evolution of the Middle English language.

In the Subsidy Rolls of 1332, a John le Dravght is listed in Worcestershire, providing further evidence of the surname's use during the 14th century. Additionally, the Pipe Rolls of 1379 record a Thomas Draft residing in Yorkshire.

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname was Robert Draft, who was born in Lancashire around 1420. He is mentioned in the Court Rolls of the Duchy of Lancaster in 1458 as a yeoman farmer.

Another notable figure was William Draft, born in Gloucestershire in 1512. He was a prominent landowner and served as a magistrate in the county during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

In the 17th century, the surname can be found in various parish records throughout England. For instance, the baptismal record of John Draft in 1621 is preserved in the registers of St. Mary's Church in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname in Scotland is that of James Draft, who was born in Aberdeenshire in 1647. He is mentioned in the Burgh Records of Aberdeen as a merchant and burgess of the city.

While not as widely distributed as in England, the surname Draft also has a presence in parts of Ireland, particularly in Ulster. One notable bearer was Patrick Draft, born in County Antrim in 1735, who served as a captain in the Irish Militia during the late 18th century.

As the surname spread across the British Isles, various localized spellings emerged, such as Drafte, Drayft, and Draffet, reflecting regional variations in pronunciation and orthographic traditions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Draft

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

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

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

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