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

Harford, 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 Harford surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Harford in America

Harford is the 14643rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Harford surname appeared 2,032 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 Harford.

We can also compare 2010 data for Harford 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 Harford

The surname Harford is of English origin and is derived from a place name, indicating that the earliest bearers of this name hailed from a particular location. It is believed to have originated in the county of Devon, where the name can be traced back to the 12th century.

The name Harford is thought to be a combination of two Old English words: "hær," meaning an army or host, and "ford," referring to a shallow crossing point over a river or stream. This suggests that the name may have originated from a location where an army or group of soldiers crossed a ford, perhaps during a military campaign or battle.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Harford can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Devon from 1194, where a person named William de Hereford is mentioned. This spelling variation suggests that the name may have been originally derived from the town of Hereford, before evolving into its current form.

In the 13th century, the name appears in various records, such as the Assize Rolls of Somerset from 1268, which mentions a Robert de Hareford. This indicates that the name had spread to other parts of England by this time.

Notable historical figures with the surname Harford include:

1. John Harford (c. 1490 - c. 1554), an English merchant and politician who served as Mayor of Bristol.
2. William Harford (1594 - 1683), an English Puritan minister and author known for his work "The Discipline of the Church."
3. John Scandrett Harford (1785 - 1866), an English Quaker and philanthropist who founded several charitable institutions in Bristol.
4. Charles Joseph Harford (1843 - 1920), an English writer and historian who wrote extensively about the history of Bristol.
5. Walter Harford (1883 - 1951), an English businessman and politician who served as Member of Parliament for Bristol North.

The name Harford has also been associated with various place names throughout England, such as Harford Bridge in Devon, Harford Hill in Somerset, and Harford Manor in Gloucestershire, further reinforcing its connection to specific locations.

While the surname Harford may not be as widespread as some other English names, it has a rich history deeply rooted in the geography and events of medieval England, reflecting the experiences and movements of its earliest bearers.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Harford

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!