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

Gilford, 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 Gilford surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gilford in America

Gilford is the 20057th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gilford surname appeared 1,333 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 Gilford.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gilford 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 Gilford

The surname Gilford originated in England during the medieval period. It is a locational name derived from a place called Guildford, which is located in the county of Surrey. The name Guildford itself is thought to come from the Old English words "gylde" meaning "golden" and "ford" meaning a shallow crossing of a river.

Guildford was an important town during the Anglo-Saxon period, and the name Gilford is recorded in various historical documents from that time. One of the earliest known references to the name is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is spelled as "Geldeford."

In the 13th century, a prominent member of the Gilford family was Sir John Gilford, who served as Sheriff of Surrey and Sussex in 1265. Another notable figure was Sir Thomas Gilford, who fought in the Hundred Years' War and was knighted for his bravery on the battlefield.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Gilford surname appeared in various parish records and court documents across England. One example is William Gilford, who was born in 1585 in Oxfordshire and later became a successful merchant in London.

In the 18th century, a famous bearer of the name was Samuel Gilford, an English poet and playwright who was born in 1720 and died in 1796. His works include the play "The Orphan of China" and several volumes of poetry.

Another notable individual with the surname Gilford was Sir Henry Gilford, a British military officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars. He was born in 1776 and later became a Lieutenant-General in the British Army, serving with distinction in several campaigns against the French.

Throughout history, the Gilford surname has been associated with various place names and locations across England, including Guildford in Surrey, as well as areas in Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, and other counties. The name has also been spelled in various ways, such as Guilford, Gylford, and Guildford, reflecting the evolution of the English language over time.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gilford

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

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

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

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