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

Pitchford, 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 Pitchford surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pitchford in America

Pitchford is the 8206th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pitchford surname appeared 4,044 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 Pitchford.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pitchford 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 Pitchford

The surname PITCHFORD is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is derived from a locational name, referring to someone who lived near a farm or settlement with the Old English words "pytt" meaning pit or hollowand "ford" meaning a shallow river crossing.

The earliest known record of the PITCHFORD surname dates back to the late 12th century in the county of Shropshire. In the Pipe Rolls of 1195, a Roger de Picheford is mentioned as holding land in the village of Pitchford, near Shrewsbury.

Throughout the 13th and 14th centuries, various spellings of the name can be found in historical records such as the Hundred Rolls, the Inquisitiones Post Mortem, and the Feet of Fines. Variations include Pycheford, Pichford, and Pitchforde, reflecting the evolving spelling and pronunciation of the name.

One notable PITCHFORD from history was Sir John Pitchford (c.1520-1585), a prominent English lawyer and judge who served as Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. He was a native of Shropshire and played a significant role in the legal and judicial affairs of his time.

Another PITCHFORD of historical note was Thomas Pitchford (c.1630-1687), an English Puritan minister and author who wrote several religious works, including "The Cry of the Oppressed" and "The Sinful Nature of Sin."

In the 18th century, John Pitchford (1723-1789) was a renowned English clockmaker and inventor from Lichfield, Staffordshire. His innovative clock designs and contributions to the field of horology earned him recognition among his contemporaries.

Moving into the 19th century, William Pitchford (1825-1891) was a British architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings in London and the surrounding areas, including churches, schools, and public buildings.

Lastly, Sir Ralph Pitchford (1895-1982) was a distinguished British civil servant and diplomat who served as the Ambassador to Saudi Arabia from 1949 to 1954, playing a crucial role in strengthening diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pitchford

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

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

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

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