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

Mulford, 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 Mulford surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Mulford in America

Mulford is the 11374th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Mulford surname appeared 2,773 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 Mulford.

We can also compare 2010 data for Mulford 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 Mulford

The surname Mulford has its origins in England, tracing back to the early medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "mul" meaning "bare hill" and "ford" meaning "a shallow place for crossing a river or stream." This suggests that the name likely originated from a place name referring to a settlement near a ford crossing over a river or stream at the base of a bare hill.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which mentions a landowner named "Muleford" in the county of Somerset, England. This provides evidence that the name was already in use by the late 11th century.

In the 13th century, records show a "John de Muleford" listed as a landowner in the county of Wiltshire, England. The "de" prefix indicates that the name was originally derived from a place name, further reinforcing its locational origins.

During the late medieval period, variations in spelling began to emerge, with forms such as "Mulford," "Mulforde," and "Mulforde" appearing in various historical documents and records.

One notable figure with the surname Mulford was Sir John Mulford (c. 1450-1524), a prominent English landowner and Member of Parliament for Somerset during the reign of Henry VIII.

Another individual of note was Captain Thomas Mulford (c. 1610-1679), an early settler in the American colonies who established a homestead on Long Island, New York, in the mid-17th century. His descendants went on to become influential members of the local community.

In the 18th century, Reverend Samuel Mulford (1710-1780) was a respected Anglican clergyman and educator in Connecticut, serving as the principal of several prestigious schools during his lifetime.

The 19th century saw the rise of John Mulford (1807-1891), an influential American historian and author who published several works on the history of New Jersey and Long Island.

Additionally, Prentice Mulford (1834-1891) was a renowned American philosopher and writer who played a significant role in the development of the New Thought movement, advocating for positive thinking and self-improvement.

While the surname Mulford has its roots in England, it has since spread to various parts of the world, particularly through British migration and colonization efforts. However, its origins can be traced back to the early medieval period in England, where it likely originated as a locational surname derived from a settlement near a ford crossing at the base of a bare hill.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Mulford

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

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

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

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