2000
#13,912
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,990
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.74
Rare Last name
Munford
From the Old English words "munn" meaning monk and "ford" meaning a river crossing, referring to someone living near a monk's ford.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,316 Americans carry the last name Munford. That puts it at #14,265 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.68 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 147,994 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Munford 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Munford with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.3K
1 in 147,994
Census rank
#14,265
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,020 bearers of the surname Munford in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.68 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14265th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Munford, the largest self-reported group is White at 47.1%. The next largest groups are Black (43.3%) and Two or More Races (5.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Munford
The surname Munford originates from England and dates back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from a place name, possibly a combination of the Old English words "munec" meaning monk and "ford" meaning a shallow river crossing or a ford. This suggests that the name may have originated from a location where monks had settled near a ford.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Munford can be found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, where it is spelled as "Moneford". This ancient document was a survey of landowners in England, providing evidence of the name's existence during that era.
In the 14th century, the name appeared in various forms such as "Moniford" and "Muneford" in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire and Gloucestershire, respectively. These records were tax rolls that documented the names of individuals who were required to pay taxes.
During the 16th century, the surname Munford was found in the parish records of Stratford-upon-Avon, the birthplace of the renowned playwright William Shakespeare. This suggests that families with this surname may have resided in or around this historic town.
Notably, Sir John Munford (1608-1668) was an English politician who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1667. He was a prominent figure in the City of London and played a role in the reconstruction efforts following the Great Fire of London in 1666.
Another notable individual was Robert Munford (1734-1823), an American lawyer, judge, and playwright from Virginia. He was a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses and served as a judge on the Virginia Court of Appeals.
In the 19th century, Reverend Henry Munford (1801-1857) was an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious works, including "Village Sermons" and "Church Essays".
Thomas Munford (1833-1904) was a British architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Church of St. Barnabas in Pimlico and the Royal College of Physicians' building on Pall Mall.
William Munford (1812-1876) was an American lawyer and politician from Virginia who served as a member of the Virginia House of Delegates and as a judge on the Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Munford
Among Census respondents with the surname Munford, the largest self-reported group is White at 47.1%. The next largest groups are Black (43.3%) and Two or More Races (5.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Munford 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 Munford surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White47.1% · 952
- Black or African American43.3% · 875
- Two or more races5.5% · 111
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 62
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 11
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Munford
Munford 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
#13,642
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,220
+230 bearers (+11.6%)
Per 100,000 0.75
Rank movement Up 270 places
2020
#14,265
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,020
-200 bearers (-9.0%)
Per 100,000 0.68
Rank movement Down 623 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,912 | 1,990 | 0.74 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,642 | 2,220 | 0.75 | +230 bearers (+11.6%) | Up 270 places |
| 2020 | #14,265 | 2,020 | 0.68 | -200 bearers (-9.0%) | Down 623 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 Munford 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 | #13,642 | #14,265 | -4.6% |
| Count | 2,220 | 2,020 | -9.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.75 | 0.68 | -9.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Munford bearers went from 2,220 to 2,020 (-9.0% change). The surname moved down 623 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,642 to #14,265.
FAQ
Munford surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Munford?
Name Census estimates that about 2,316 living Americans carry the surname Munford. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 147,994 residents.
How common is Munford?
Munford ranks #14,265 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.68 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 2,020 people with the surname Munford. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,316), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.68 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.68 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 Munford.
Has Munford become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Munford went from 2,220 recorded bearers to 2,020. That is a decrease of 200 (-9.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,642 to #14,265.
What does the Census say about the background of Munford?
Among Census respondents with the surname Munford, the largest self-reported group is White at 47.1%. The next largest groups are Black (43.3%) and Two or More Races (5.5%). 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 Munford in the 2020 Census, accounting for 47.1% (952 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Munford appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (47.1%), Black (43.3%), Two or More Races (5.5%). 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 Munford (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 Munford mean?
From the Old English words "munn" meaning monk and "ford" meaning a river crossing, referring to someone living near a monk's 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 Munford (0.68 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 are called Munford?
You can see how many people have the surname Munford on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.