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

Drakeford, 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 Drakeford surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Drakeford in America

Drakeford is the 16136th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Drakeford surname appeared 1,793 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 Drakeford.

We can also compare 2010 data for Drakeford 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 Drakeford

The surname Drakeford is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be a locational name, derived from a place name referring to a ford or river crossing frequented by drakes (male ducks). The name could have been given to someone who lived near such a location.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1279, which mentions a William de Drakerford. The prefix "de" in this spelling indicates the locational nature of the surname.

Another early reference can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, which lists a Thomas de Drakeford. These rolls were tax records, suggesting that the Drakeford family had some means at the time.

In the 16th century, the name appears in various records with variations in spelling, such as Drakefoorde and Drakeforde. This was common during this period due to inconsistencies in written English.

One notable figure with the surname Drakeford was Sir John Drakeford (1599-1678), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Tregony, Cornwall, in the 1620s. He was also a supporter of the Royalist cause during the English Civil War.

Another individual of note was Reverend Thomas Drakeford (1677-1741), an Anglican clergyman who served as the Rector of Spridlington, Lincolnshire, in the early 18th century.

In the 19th century, a prominent member of the Drakeford family was William Drakeford (1811-1892), a British architect responsible for designing several notable buildings in London, including the Church of St. Peter in Vauxhall.

The name Drakeford also has connections to the Welsh region, with records indicating a family residing in Pembrokeshire in the 17th century. One member of this branch was John Drakeford (1638-1701), a Welsh landowner and Justice of the Peace.

While less common today, the surname Drakeford has maintained a presence throughout England and Wales over the centuries, with individuals carrying on the legacy of this historic name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Drakeford

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

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

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

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