2000
#1,807
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 18,264
First available Census row
Per 100,000 6.77
Uncommon Last name
Ledford
Derived from a place name meaning "ford by a hillside" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 20,356 Americans carry the last name Ledford. That puts it at #1,983 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 5.94 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 16,838 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ledford surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
20K
1 in 16,838
Census rank
#1,983
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
5.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
18K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 17,751 bearers of the surname Ledford in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 5.94 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1983rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ledford, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%) and Black (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ledford
The surname Ledford originates from England, believed to have emerged in the medieval era. It is thought to derive from the Old English words "lead" and "ford," suggesting it was initially a descriptive name referring to a location near a leaden or lead-paved ford or river crossing.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Ledeford." This entry likely refers to a place name rather than a specific individual, indicating the name's roots as a locational surname.
In the 13th century, the name was recorded as "Ledforde" in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire, a census-like survey conducted in 1273. This spelling variation highlights the evolving nature of surnames during that time.
The earliest known bearer of the surname Ledford was Robert de Ledforde, documented in the Patent Rolls of 1301 during the reign of King Edward I. This record suggests the name's transition from a place name to a hereditary surname.
Another notable early bearer was John Ledford, born around 1425 in Gloucestershire, England. He was a prominent landowner and influential figure in his local community.
During the 16th century, the surname appeared in various spellings, such as "Ledforde" and "Leddforde," reflecting the lack of standardized spelling conventions at the time.
In the 17th century, the name Ledford gained recognition with the birth of Sir Edward Ledford (1634-1701), a prominent military commander who served under King Charles II during the English Civil War.
The 18th century saw the rise of Samuel Ledford (1738-1815), a renowned scholar and author who wrote extensively on the history and culture of the English countryside.
As the name spread across England, it also found its way to other parts of the British Isles and eventually to the American colonies. One notable American bearer was William Ledford (1775-1853), a pioneer and early settler in the state of Tennessee.
Throughout its history, the surname Ledford has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including writers, artists, politicians, and military figures, solidifying its place in the annals of English and American history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ledford
Among Census respondents with the surname Ledford, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%) and Black (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Ledford bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Ledford surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.2% · 15,833
- Two or more races4.1% · 731
- Black or African American2.7% · 472
- Hispanic or Latino2.3% · 411
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.1% · 191
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 113
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ledford
Ledford appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#1,946
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 18,532
+268 bearers (+1.5%)
Per 100,000 6.28
Rank movement Down 139 places
2020
#1,983
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 17,751
-781 bearers (-4.2%)
Per 100,000 5.94
Rank movement Down 37 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,807 | 18,264 | 6.77 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,946 | 18,532 | 6.28 | +268 bearers (+1.5%) | Down 139 places |
| 2020 | #1,983 | 17,751 | 5.94 | -781 bearers (-4.2%) | Down 37 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Ledford surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,946 | #1,983 | -1.9% |
| Count | 18,532 | 17,751 | -4.2% |
| Per 100K | 6.28 | 5.94 | -5.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ledford bearers went from 18,532 to 17,751 (-4.2% change). The surname moved down 37 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,946 to #1,983.
FAQ
Ledford surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ledford?
Name Census estimates that about 20,356 living Americans carry the surname Ledford. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 16,838 residents.
How common is Ledford?
Ledford ranks #1,983 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 5.94 per 100,000 residents, which is about 6 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 17,751 people with the surname Ledford. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (20,356), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 5.94 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 5.94 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 6 of them to have the surname Ledford.
Has Ledford become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ledford went from 18,532 recorded bearers to 17,751. That is a decrease of 781 (-4.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,946 to #1,983.
What does the Census say about the background of Ledford?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ledford, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%) and Black (2.7%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Ledford in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.2% (15,833 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ledford appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.2%), Two or More Races (4.1%), Black (2.7%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Ledford (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Ledford mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "ford by a hillside" in Old English. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Ledford (5.94 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Ledford?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.