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

Pafford, 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 Pafford surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pafford in America

Pafford is the 17699th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pafford surname appeared 1,585 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 Pafford.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pafford 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 Pafford

The surname Pafford has its origins in England, dating back to the late 13th century. It is believed to be a locational name derived from the place name Padford or Patford, which were small villages or hamlets in various regions of the country. The name is thought to have originated from the Old English words "paed" meaning path or track, and "ford" referring to a shallow river crossing.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Pafford can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, where a Thomas de Patforde is mentioned. The surname also appears in various other historical records, such as the Feet of Fines for Staffordshire in 1426, which lists a John Pafford.

During the medieval period, the spelling of the name varied considerably, with variations such as Patford, Patforde, Padforde, and Padford appearing in various documents. This was common due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions at the time.

In the 16th century, a notable bearer of the name was Sir John Pafford (c.1510-1568), who served as a Member of Parliament for the borough of Arundel in Sussex during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

Another prominent figure with the Pafford surname was Thomas Pafford (1695-1767), an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious treatises and served as the Rector of Huish Champflower in Somerset.

In the 18th century, a wealthy landowner named William Pafford (1725-1802) owned substantial estates in the county of Gloucestershire, and his family played a significant role in the local community.

During the 19th century, the Pafford name appeared in various parts of England, with branches of the family settling in counties such as Shropshire, Staffordshire, and Warwickshire. One notable individual from this period was John Pafford (1818-1892), a renowned architect who designed several notable buildings in Birmingham and the surrounding areas.

While the Pafford surname is not among the most common in England, it has a rich history dating back several centuries, with numerous individuals bearing the name making their mark in various fields throughout the ages.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pafford

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

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

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

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