2000
#8,140
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,750
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.39
Rare Last name
Mefford
An English locational surname derived from a place name meaning "middle ford."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,308 Americans carry the last name Mefford. That puts it at #8,438 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.26 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 79,562 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mefford 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
4.3K
1 in 79,562
Census rank
#8,438
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,757 bearers of the surname Mefford in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.26 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8438th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mefford, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mefford
The surname Mefford has its origins in England, tracing back to the early medieval period. Derived from the Old English words "mæg" meaning "relative" and "ford" meaning "a shallow river crossing," the name likely referred to a location where a family member or relative resided near a ford.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Mereforde" in reference to a place in Warwickshire. This suggests that the name may have originated as a locational surname, describing someone who hailed from a particular location.
During the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, including "Mereford," "Mereforte," and "Merreford," reflecting the fluid nature of spelling practices at the time. These variations underscore the name's connection to place names and geographical features.
Among notable historical figures bearing the Mefford surname is Sir John Mefford (c. 1455-1519), a prominent English landowner and member of Parliament during the reign of Henry VIII. Another individual of note is William Mefford (1590-1662), a Puritan minister who emigrated to Massachusetts Bay Colony in the early 17th century.
In the 16th and 17th centuries, the name continued to be associated with various locations in England, such as Mereford in Staffordshire and Merriford in Devon. This geographical dispersal highlights the mobility of families and the evolution of place names over time.
Another notable bearer of the Mefford name was Elizabeth Mefford (1675-1738), a renowned Quaker writer and minister who traveled extensively throughout the American colonies, spreading her religious teachings and advocating for social justice.
During the 18th century, the surname found its way to Scotland, where James Mefford (1712-1786), a successful merchant and landowner, established himself in Edinburgh, leaving a lasting legacy in the city's commercial and cultural spheres.
As the centuries progressed, the Mefford surname has been carried by individuals from diverse walks of life, including scholars, artists, and military personnel, each contributing to the rich tapestry of the name's history and significance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mefford
Among Census respondents with the surname Mefford, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Mefford 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 Mefford surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.5% · 3,400
- Two or more races4.3% · 162
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 112
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 34
- Black or African American0.8% · 29
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 20
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mefford
Mefford 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
#8,501
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,875
+125 bearers (+3.3%)
Per 100,000 1.31
Rank movement Down 361 places
2020
#8,438
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,757
-118 bearers (-3.0%)
Per 100,000 1.26
Rank movement Up 63 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,140 | 3,750 | 1.39 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,501 | 3,875 | 1.31 | +125 bearers (+3.3%) | Down 361 places |
| 2020 | #8,438 | 3,757 | 1.26 | -118 bearers (-3.0%) | Up 63 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 Mefford 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 | #8,501 | #8,438 | 0.7% |
| Count | 3,875 | 3,757 | -3.0% |
| Per 100K | 1.31 | 1.26 | -4.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mefford bearers went from 3,875 to 3,757 (-3.0% change). The surname moved up 63 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,501 to #8,438.
FAQ
Mefford surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mefford?
Name Census estimates that about 4,308 living Americans carry the surname Mefford. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 79,562 residents.
How common is Mefford?
Mefford ranks #8,438 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.26 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,757 people with the surname Mefford. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,308), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.26 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.26 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Mefford.
Has Mefford become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mefford went from 3,875 recorded bearers to 3,757. That is a decrease of 118 (-3.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #8,501 to #8,438.
What does the Census say about the background of Mefford?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mefford, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Hispanic (3.0%). 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 Mefford in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.5% (3,400 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mefford appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.5%), Two or More Races (4.3%), Hispanic (3.0%). 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 Mefford (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 Mefford mean?
An English locational surname derived from a place name meaning "middle ford." 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 Mefford (1.26 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 common is the surname Mefford?
You can see how common the surname Mefford is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.