2000
#2,636
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,607
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.67
Uncommon Last name
Radford
A locational surname denoting someone from any of the places called Radford in England, meaning "red ford."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 14,089 Americans carry the last name Radford. That puts it at #2,863 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.11 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 24,328 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Radford surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Radford with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
14K
1 in 24,328
Census rank
#2,863
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
12K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 12,286 bearers of the surname Radford in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.11 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2863rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Radford, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.4%. The next largest groups are Black (16.3%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Radford
Among Census respondents with the surname Radford, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.4%. The next largest groups are Black (16.3%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Radford bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Radford surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White75.4% · 9,264
- Black or African American16.3% · 2,008
- Two or more races4.5% · 558
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 309
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 83
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 64
Timeline
Historical Census data for Radford
Radford appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#2,785
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,956
+349 bearers (+2.8%)
Per 100,000 4.39
Rank movement Down 149 places
2020
#2,863
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,286
-670 bearers (-5.2%)
Per 100,000 4.11
Rank movement Down 78 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,636 | 12,607 | 4.67 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,785 | 12,956 | 4.39 | +349 bearers (+2.8%) | Down 149 places |
| 2020 | #2,863 | 12,286 | 4.11 | -670 bearers (-5.2%) | Down 78 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Radford surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,785 | #2,863 | -2.8% |
| Count | 12,956 | 12,286 | -5.2% |
| Per 100K | 4.39 | 4.11 | -6.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Radford bearers went from 12,956 to 12,286 (-5.2% change). The surname moved down 78 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,785 to #2,863.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Radford
FAQ
Radford surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Radford?
Name Census estimates that about 14,089 living Americans carry the surname Radford. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 24,328 residents.
How common is Radford?
Radford ranks #2,863 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.11 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 12,286 people with the surname Radford. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (14,089), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.11 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.11 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Radford.
Has Radford become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Radford went from 12,956 recorded bearers to 12,286. That is a decrease of 670 (-5.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,785 to #2,863.
What does the Census say about the background of Radford?
Among Census respondents with the surname Radford, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.4%. The next largest groups are Black (16.3%) and Two or More Races (4.5%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Radford in the 2020 Census, accounting for 75.4% (9,264 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Radford appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (75.4%), Black (16.3%), Two or More Races (4.5%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Radford (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Radford mean?
A locational surname denoting someone from any of the places called Radford in England, meaning "red ford." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Radford (4.11 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Radford?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.