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

Radford, 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 Radford surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Radford in America

Radford is the 2785th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Radford surname appeared 12,956 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Radford.

We can also compare 2010 data for Radford 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 Radford

The surname Radford is of English origin, derived from the place name Radford, which means "red ford" or "ford by the red land." The name is found in various locations across England, including Nottinghamshire, Oxfordshire, and Warwickshire.

Radford's earliest recorded appearance dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as Redeforde in Nottinghamshire. This suggests that the name has been in use since the 11th century or earlier.

In the 13th century, the name appears in various records, such as the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it is written as Radeford and Redeford. During this time, the spelling of the name varied, including Radford, Radforde, and Redforde.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname was William de Radford, who lived in Nottinghamshire in the late 13th century. Another notable person was John Radford, a member of the English Parliament in 1330.

In the 16th century, the name was associated with the Radford family of Radford Hall in Nottinghamshire. This family produced several noteworthy individuals, including Sir Francis Radford (1580-1648), a wealthy landowner and Member of Parliament.

During the 17th century, the surname gained prominence with Lewis Radford (1608-1679), a Puritan clergyman and author, and John Radford (1639-1696), an English mathematician and astronomer.

In the 18th century, one of the most famous individuals with the surname was Thomas Radford (1743-1827), an English architect who designed several notable buildings in Bristol and Bath.

Another notable figure was William Radford (1808-1890), an English artist and engraver known for his etchings of English landscapes and architectural subjects.

The 19th century saw the rise of John Radford (1817-1896), a British Army officer and Victoria Cross recipient for his bravery during the Crimean War.

Throughout history, the surname Radford has been associated with various professions, including clergy, academics, military personnel, and artists, reflecting its diverse origins and the contributions of individuals who bore this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Radford

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!