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

Fordham, 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 Fordham surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Fordham in America

Fordham is the 6930th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Fordham surname appeared 4,838 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Fordham.

We can also compare 2010 data for Fordham 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 Fordham

The surname Fordham originated in England during the medieval period. It is a locational name derived from the town of Fordham in Cambridgeshire. The name is composed of the Old English words "ford" meaning a shallow place where a river can be crossed and "ham" meaning a homestead or village.

The earliest recorded instance of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Fordeham". This entry refers to the village of Fordham, indicating the name's origins as a place name before becoming a hereditary surname.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various records with different spellings such as Fordeham, Fordam, and Fordham. One notable example is Robert de Fordham, who was mentioned in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1285.

During the 14th century, the surname spread beyond Cambridgeshire, with records showing instances of the name in other parts of England. One example is John Fordham, a prominent merchant from London, who was born around 1350.

In the 15th century, the Fordham family established themselves as landowners and members of the gentry class. Sir John Fordham, born in 1425, was a Member of Parliament for Cambridgeshire and served as the High Sheriff of the county.

Another notable figure was George Fordham, a scholar and clergyman born in 1552. He was appointed as the Master of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, and played a significant role in the academic and religious life of the university.

In the 17th century, the Fordham family continued to hold influential positions. Nicholas Fordham, born in 1620, was a prominent lawyer and served as the Recorder of Bristol.

The 18th century saw the rise of John Fordham, a renowned architect born in 1728. He designed several notable buildings in London, including the Church of St Mary Woolnoth and the western wing of Somerset House.

In the 19th century, one of the most famous individuals with the surname Fordham was Edward Fordham Flower, born in 1805. He was a pioneering artist and a member of the Royal Academy, known for his landscape paintings of the English countryside.

Throughout its history, the surname Fordham has been associated with various professions, including law, academia, religion, architecture, and the arts, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of those who have carried this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Fordham

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

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

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

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