2000
#1,716
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 19,171
First available Census row
Per 100,000 7.11
Uncommon Last name
Gifford
From an English place name meaning "the ford that yields a gift or reward."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 21,478 Americans carry the last name Gifford. That puts it at #1,881 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 6.27 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 15,958 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gifford surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Gifford with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
21K
1 in 15,958
Census rank
#1,881
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
6.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
19K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 18,730 bearers of the surname Gifford in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 6.27 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1881st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gifford, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Hispanic (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gifford
The surname Gifford originated in England, derived from the Old English words "gif" meaning "gift" and "ford" meaning "a shallow place where a river or stream can be crossed." It is believed to have originated as a place name, referring to a location where a gift or benefaction was bestowed upon a religious establishment or community.
The earliest recorded instance of the name is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is spelled "Gifeford." This entry refers to a place in Suffolk, England, which was later known as Gifford's Hall. This suggests that the name was already well-established in the region by the late 11th century.
In the 12th century, a prominent family with the surname Gifford held lands in Normandy and England. One notable member was Walter Gifford, who served as Lord Chancellor of England from 1072 to 1089. Another early bearer of the name was William Gifford (c. 1180-1253), who was Bishop of Winchester and a renowned scholar.
The name spread throughout England and Scotland, with various spellings emerging over time, such as Giffard, Gyfford, and Gyffard. In the 13th century, Sir John Gifford (c. 1235-1285) was a prominent knight and landowner in Gloucestershire, England.
During the 16th century, the Gifford family established itself in Devon, England. One notable member was George Gifford (c. 1520-1600), a Puritan theologian and writer. In the 17th century, William Gifford (1556-1629) was an English clergyman and Archbishop of Rheims.
In Scotland, the Giffords were a prominent family in East Lothian. William Gifford (1756-1826) was a renowned English critic, satirist, and editor of the Quarterly Review. Robert Gifford, 1st Baron Gifford (1779-1869), was a Scottish judge and politician who served as Lord Justice Clerk.
Throughout history, the surname Gifford has been associated with various notable individuals, including poets, authors, politicians, and religious figures, reflecting its long-standing presence and significance in England and Scotland.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gifford
Among Census respondents with the surname Gifford, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Hispanic (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Gifford bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Gifford surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.3% · 16,547
- Two or more races4.3% · 807
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 644
- Black or African American2.3% · 438
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 147
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 147
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gifford
Gifford appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#1,834
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 19,514
+343 bearers (+1.8%)
Per 100,000 6.62
Rank movement Down 118 places
2020
#1,881
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 18,730
-784 bearers (-4.0%)
Per 100,000 6.27
Rank movement Down 47 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,716 | 19,171 | 7.11 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,834 | 19,514 | 6.62 | +343 bearers (+1.8%) | Down 118 places |
| 2020 | #1,881 | 18,730 | 6.27 | -784 bearers (-4.0%) | Down 47 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Gifford surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,834 | #1,881 | -2.6% |
| Count | 19,514 | 18,730 | -4.0% |
| Per 100K | 6.62 | 6.27 | -5.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gifford bearers went from 19,514 to 18,730 (-4.0% change). The surname moved down 47 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,834 to #1,881.
FAQ
Gifford surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gifford?
Name Census estimates that about 21,478 living Americans carry the surname Gifford. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 15,958 residents.
How common is Gifford?
Gifford ranks #1,881 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 6.27 per 100,000 residents, which is about 6 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 18,730 people with the surname Gifford. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (21,478), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 6.27 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 6.27 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 6 of them to have the surname Gifford.
Has Gifford become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gifford went from 19,514 recorded bearers to 18,730. That is a decrease of 784 (-4.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,834 to #1,881.
What does the Census say about the background of Gifford?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gifford, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Hispanic (3.4%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Gifford in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.3% (16,547 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gifford appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.3%), Two or More Races (4.3%), Hispanic (3.4%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Gifford (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Gifford mean?
From an English place name meaning "the ford that yields a gift or reward." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Gifford (6.27 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Gifford?
If you just want to know how many people are called Gifford, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.