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

Offord, 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 Offord surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Offord in America

Offord is the 22069th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Offord surname appeared 1,174 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 Offord.

We can also compare 2010 data for Offord 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 Offord

The surname Offord has its origins in England, with records dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English words "ofer" meaning "over" and "ford" meaning a shallow river crossing, suggesting that the name initially referred to someone who lived near a ford or crossing point over a river.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire, a census-like survey conducted in 1273, where it is listed as "Offord." This suggests that the name was already well-established in this region by that time.

The name is also closely associated with the village of Offord Cluny and Offord D'Arcy, both located in Cambridgeshire. These place names, which incorporate the surname, further reinforce the link between the name and the local geography.

In the 14th century, the surname is found in various records, including the Subsidy Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1327, which mention a John de Offord. This form, using the prefix "de," was common at the time and indicated a connection to a specific place.

Over the centuries, the name has been subject to various spellings, including Offorde, Offorthe, and Offworth, reflecting the fluidity of English orthography before standardization.

Notable individuals with the surname Offord include:

1. John Offord (c. 1300-1349), an English clergyman who served as Lord Chancellor of England from 1345 to 1349.
2. William Offord (c. 1390-1460), a 15th-century English Member of Parliament for Cambridgeshire.
3. Thomas Offord (c. 1470-1532), a 16th-century English landowner and benefactor who endowed a school in the village of Offord Cluny.
4. Elizabeth Offord (1607-1679), an English Puritan writer and poet known for her religious works.
5. John Offord (1678-1744), a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the 18th century.

While the name has endured over time, its geographical concentration suggests a strong connection to the Cambridgeshire region, where it likely originated and thrived for centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Offord

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

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

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

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