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

Foard, 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 Foard surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Foard in America

Foard is the 24934th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Foard surname appeared 997 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 Foard.

We can also compare 2010 data for Foard 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 Foard

The surname Foard has its origins in England, traceable back to the late 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "ford," which referred to a shallow crossing point in a river or stream. The earliest known spelling of the name was "Atte Forde," which appeared in records from the county of Oxfordshire.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Foard surname can be found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, which listed a certain William atte Forde residing in Berkshire. This suggests that the name was already well-established in southern England during the medieval period.

The Foard name was also present in the renowned Domesday Book of 1086, which documented landowners and tenants throughout England after the Norman Conquest. Several entries mention individuals with variations of the name, such as "Forda" and "Forde," indicating the name's presence in various regions of the country at that time.

In the 14th century, the surname appeared in various forms, including "Forde," "Foard," and "Foord." One notable bearer was John Foard, a merchant from Bristol, who was recorded in the city's annals in 1378.

During the 16th century, the name gained prominence with the emergence of several notable figures. Sir Edward Foard (1553-1608) was a distinguished statesman and diplomat who served under Queen Elizabeth I. He played a pivotal role in negotiating the Treaty of Antwerp in 1609, which secured peace between England and Spain.

Another prominent individual was William Foard (1580-1658), a prominent Puritan minister and author who served as the rector of Medbourne in Leicestershire. His influential works, including "The Doctrine of the Sabbath" and "A Treatise on the Church," helped shape the religious landscape of the time.

In the 18th century, the Foard name was carried by John Foard (1707-1782), a renowned architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Horse Guards Parade and the Admiralty Building.

The 19th century saw the birth of Sir Francis Foard (1823-1901), a highly acclaimed British naval officer who played a significant role in the Crimean War and later became the Commander-in-Chief of the Mediterranean Fleet.

Throughout its history, the Foard surname has maintained a strong presence in various parts of England, particularly in the southern counties of Oxfordshire, Berkshire, and Somerset, where many of the earliest recorded bearers resided.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Foard

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

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

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

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