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

Hansford, 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 Hansford surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hansford in America

Hansford is the 10234th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hansford surname appeared 3,149 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Hansford.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hansford 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 Hansford

The surname Hansford is of English origin and is believed to date back to the 12th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "hans" meaning "hanse" or "guild," and "ford" meaning a shallow river crossing or ford. This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived near a ford used by a merchant's guild or association.

The earliest recorded instance of the name Hansford appears in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1191, where it is spelled "Hansford." This suggests that the name was already well-established by the late 12th century.

In the 13th century, the name is found in various records, including the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273, where it is spelled "Haunsford." This variation in spelling was common in medieval times due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions.

The Hansford surname is also associated with several place names in England, such as Hansford Bridge in Oxfordshire and Hansford Mill in Somerset. These place names likely derived from the surname itself, indicating that the name was prevalent in those areas.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the Hansford surname was William Hansford, who was born in Gloucestershire in the late 13th century. Another notable figure was John Hansford, a wealthy merchant from Bristol who lived in the 15th century.

In the 16th century, the Hansford surname gained prominence with the rise of Richard Hansford (c. 1550-1620), a successful merchant and alderman in the city of London. His son, Sir Humphrey Hansford (1598-1658), was a prominent landowner and served as a Member of Parliament during the English Civil War.

Other notable individuals with the Hansford surname include:

1. Thomas Hansford (1609-1673), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Rector of Woodstock in Oxfordshire.
2. Elizabeth Hansford (1655-1712), a wealthy landowner and philanthropist from Gloucestershire who endowed several charitable institutions.
3. John Hansford (1714-1786), a renowned architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings in London.
4. William Hansford (1783-1859), a British Army officer who fought in the Napoleonic Wars and later served as the Governor of the British colony of Sierra Leone.
5. Emily Hansford (1837-1911), a pioneering British nurse and one of the first trained nurses to work in hospitals during the Crimean War.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hansford

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

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

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

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