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

Handford, 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 Handford surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Handford in America

Handford is the 40976th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Handford surname appeared 532 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 Handford.

We can also compare 2010 data for Handford 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 Handford

The surname Handford originates from England, with its roots dating back to the medieval period. The name is thought to be derived from a place name, possibly referring to a former location or settlement. One theory suggests that the name is a combination of the Old English words "hand" and "ford," meaning a ford or shallow crossing over a river or stream that could be crossed by hand.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Handford can be traced back to the 13th century. The Hundred Rolls of 1273, a census-like record of landowners in England, mentions individuals with the surname Handford residing in various counties, including Warwickshire and Gloucestershire. This suggests that the name may have originated in these regions or nearby areas.

In the 14th century, the Handford surname appeared in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1327, which were records of taxation. These rolls documented individuals named Handford living in counties like Wiltshire and Somerset, further indicating the name's spread across different parts of England.

Notably, the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landowners and their holdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the surname Handford. However, this does not necessarily mean the name did not exist at that time, as many surnames were still in the process of formation and standardization during the Norman period.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Handford was John Handford, who was born in Worcestershire, England, around 1490. He served as a Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire in 1547 and was known for his involvement in local affairs.

Another notable figure was Sir Humphrey Handford (c. 1530-1591), a lawyer and Member of Parliament who served as Speaker of the House of Commons from 1589 to 1591. He played a significant role in the political and legal landscape of Elizabethan England.

In the 17th century, William Handford (1640-1701) was a prominent English clergyman and theologian. He served as the Dean of Christ Church, Oxford, and was renowned for his scholarly contributions to religious studies.

Moving into the 18th century, James Handford (1715-1776) was a British mathematician and astronomer. He made significant contributions to the field of celestial mechanics and held the position of Astronomer Royal from 1765 until his death.

Lastly, in the 19th century, Sir Reginald Handford (1839-1917) was a British naval officer and administrator. He served as the Governor of Natal, a British colony in southern Africa, from 1895 to 1901, and played a crucial role in the region's affairs during that time.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Handford

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

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

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

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