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

Pickford, 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 Pickford surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pickford in America

Pickford is the 22892nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pickford surname appeared 1,118 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 Pickford.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pickford 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 Pickford

The surname Pickford originates from England and dates back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words "pic" meaning a hill or peak, and "ford" referring to a shallow river crossing. The name is believed to have originated as a topographic surname, describing someone who lived near a hill or peak by a ford or river crossing.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Pickford can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of landholdings and population in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name is recorded as "Picford" in this document, referring to a settlement in Cheshire.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms such as "Pykford" and "Pikford" in historical records from counties like Lancashire, Cheshire, and Staffordshire. This suggests that the name was particularly prevalent in the northwest regions of England during this period.

One notable bearer of the Pickford surname was John Pickford, who lived in the 15th century and was appointed as the Mayor of Coventry in 1458. Another early record mentions a William Pickford, born around 1530, who was a landowner in the village of Adlington, Cheshire.

In the 18th century, the name gained prominence with the birth of Mary Pickford (1892-1979), a Canadian-American actress and producer who was a pioneering figure in the early days of Hollywood. She was known as "America's Sweetheart" and was one of the most popular actresses of the silent film era.

Other notable individuals with the Pickford surname include James Pickford (1737-1805), an English architect who designed several notable buildings in London, and Edward Pickford (1750-1819), an English inventor and engineer who patented several agricultural machines.

Throughout history, the surname Pickford has been associated with various place names and locations, including Pickford Green in Cheshire, Pickford Brook in Staffordshire, and Pickford Hill in Shropshire, all of which are likely derived from the same Old English roots as the surname itself.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pickford

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

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

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

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