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

Horsford, 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 Horsford surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Horsford in America

Horsford is the 36695th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Horsford surname appeared 609 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 Horsford.

We can also compare 2010 data for Horsford 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 Horsford

The surname Horsford is of English origin and can be traced back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words "hors" meaning horse and "ford" meaning a shallow river crossing, suggesting that the name may have originally referred to a place where horses could safely cross a river or stream.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name is listed as "Horseford" and is likely a reference to a settlement or manor located near a ford used by horses.

During the 13th century, various spellings of the name emerged in historical records, including Horsford, Horsforde, and Horseforde. These variations reflect the regional dialects and scribal practices of the time.

Horsford is also closely associated with several place names in England, such as Horsford in Norfolk, which was recorded as "Horseford" in the Domesday Book. This village likely served as a source of the surname for families residing in or near that area.

Notable individuals bearing the surname Horsford throughout history include:

1. John Horsford (c. 1590-1640), an English clergyman and author who wrote a treatise on the Sabbath.
2. Eben Norton Horsford (1818-1893), an American chemist and inventor best known for his work on baking powder and the development of the Horsford process for manufacturing phosphoric acid.
3. Cornelia Horsford (1824-1891), an American educator and women's rights activist who co-founded the Boston Cooking School in 1879.
4. Mary Gardiner Horsford (1824-1914), an American philanthropist and founder of the Horsford Family Fund, which supported educational and cultural institutions in the United States.
5. Michael Horsford (born 1969), an American politician who served as a member of the Nevada State Senate from 2013 to 2019.

While the Horsford surname has its roots in medieval England, it has since spread to various parts of the world, reflecting the migration patterns of English settlers and their descendants.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Horsford

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

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

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

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