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

Gesford, 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 Gesford surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gesford in America

Gesford is the 64200th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gesford surname appeared 310 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 Gesford.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gesford 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 Gesford

The surname Gesford has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from a place name, specifically a village or town called Gesford or Gisford. This place name is thought to be a combination of the Old English words "gærs" (meaning grass or pasture) and "ford" (a shallow river crossing).

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of lands and properties commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears as "Gisford," referring to a location in the county of Oxfordshire.

During the 13th century, the surname Gesford began to appear more frequently in various historical records and documents. One notable individual bearing this name was Sir Robert de Gesford, a knight who fought alongside King Edward I during the Welsh wars in the late 13th century.

In the 14th century, the Gesford family established themselves as prominent landowners in the county of Somerset. Records from this period mention a John Gesford, who was granted a large estate in the village of Midsomer Norton in 1342.

The 16th century saw the emergence of another prominent figure with the Gesford surname – Sir Thomas Gesford (c. 1515-1589). He was a member of the English gentry and served as a Member of Parliament for Somerset during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

In the 17th century, the Gesford name continued to be associated with the landed gentry in various parts of England. One notable individual was Sir William Gesford (1620-1691), who was a wealthy landowner and served as the High Sheriff of Oxfordshire in 1673.

As the centuries progressed, the Gesford surname spread to other parts of the British Isles and eventually to other parts of the world through emigration. While the name has undergone some variations in spelling, such as Gesfort or Gisford, the core origin and meaning have remained largely unchanged.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gesford

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

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

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

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