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

Eafford, 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 Eafford surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Eafford in America

Eafford is the 125282nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Eafford surname appeared 137 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 Eafford.

We can also compare 2010 data for Eafford 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 Eafford

The surname Eafford is of Anglo-Saxon origin, tracing its roots back to England in the medieval period. The name is believed to have derived from an Old English place name, possibly referring to a ford or river crossing near a grove of ash trees. Some historical linguists suggest that the name may be a variant spelling of the more common surname Ashford.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Eafford name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings and population commissioned by William the Conqueror. The entry mentions a landowner named Eadweard de Efford in the county of Essex.

During the 13th century, the name Eafford began appearing in various legal documents and court records across southern England. In 1267, a Robert de Efford is listed as a witness in a land dispute in the village of Effingham, Surrey.

In the 15th century, the Eafford family seems to have established a presence in the county of Cornwall. A notable figure from this time was Sir John Eafford (1420-1492), a wealthy merchant and landowner who served as Mayor of Fowey, a prominent Cornish port town.

The 17th century saw the emergence of several notable Eaffords, including the scholar and clergyman Nathaniel Eafford (1615-1685), who served as Rector of Stoke Pero in Somerset. Another figure was Captain William Eafford (1630-1704), a naval officer who distinguished himself in battles against the Dutch and French fleets.

In the late 18th century, a branch of the Eafford family settled in the American colonies. One of the earliest recorded Eaffords in America was Benjamin Eafford (1745-1823), a farmer and militiaman who fought in the Revolutionary War.

Other notable individuals with the surname Eafford include the 19th-century author and poet Elizabeth Eafford (1810-1882), the British explorer and naturalist Charles Eafford (1835-1912), who made significant contributions to the study of Australian flora and fauna, and the American politician and civil rights advocate Mary Eafford (1892-1978), who played a pivotal role in the desegregation of public schools in her home state of Virginia.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Eafford

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

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

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

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