Eaford last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Eaford

A locational surname derived from a place name in England.

Eaford, 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 Eaford surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Eaford in America

Eaford is the 153769th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Eaford surname appeared 106 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 Eaford.

The history of the last name Eaford

The surname "EAFORD" is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is likely derived from a place name, as many English surnames stem from the names of towns, villages, or geographical features where a person or family resided.

One theory suggests that "EAFORD" is a variation of the place name "Edford," which is found in several locations across England, including Wiltshire, Shropshire, and Worcestershire. The name "Edford" itself is thought to be derived from the Old English words "ēa," meaning "river," and "ford," meaning a shallow place where a river can be crossed.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname "EAFORD" can be traced back to the 13th and 14th centuries. For example, a record from 1273 mentions a William de Eaford, who was a landowner in Gloucestershire. Another document from 1327 refers to a John Eaford, a merchant from Bristol.

In the 15th century, the surname appeared in various spellings, such as "Edeford," "Edeforde," and "Eadeforde," reflecting the phonetic variations common in that era. One notable individual from this period was Robert Eaford (c. 1420 - 1492), a monk and scholar who served as the prior of the Benedictine abbey in Malmesbury, Wiltshire.

During the 16th century, the spelling "EAFORD" became more standardized, and the name can be found in various historical records from that time. One notable figure was Sir Thomas Eaford (1542 - 1614), a English merchant and member of the East India Company, who played a significant role in establishing trade routes between England and India.

In the 17th century, the surname "EAFORD" was carried to the American colonies by English settlers. One of the earliest known individuals with this name in the New World was John Eaford (1625 - 1687), a farmer and landowner who settled in Virginia in the 1640s.

Other notable individuals throughout history who bore the surname "EAFORD" include:

  1. Mary Eaford (1752 - 1832), an English author and poet from Gloucestershire.
  2. William Eaford (1785 - 1863), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars.
  3. Edward Eaford (1810 - 1892), an American lawyer and politician who served as a judge in Ohio.
  4. Emily Eaford (1871 - 1945), a British suffragette and women's rights activist from London.
  5. James Eaford (1899 - 1976), an Australian soldier who fought in World War I and was awarded the Military Cross for bravery.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Eaford

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

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 Eaford was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic Black Only 95.28% 101
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 0.00% 0
Hispanic Origin (S)% (S)

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.

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

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

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Eaford last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on December 26, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/eaford-surname-popularity/.

"Eaford last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/eaford-surname-popularity/. Accessed 26 December, 2024

Eaford last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/eaford-surname-popularity/.

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