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

Raiford, 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 Raiford surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Raiford in America

Raiford is the 13251st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Raiford surname appeared 2,304 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 Raiford.

We can also compare 2010 data for Raiford 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 Raiford

The surname Raiford is believed to have originated in England, likely during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from a place name, which was a common practice for the development of surnames in that era. One possible origin is the Old English words "ræd" meaning "red" and "ford" meaning "a shallow river crossing," suggesting that the name may have referred to someone living near a ford or river crossing with reddish-colored water or soil.

Another theory suggests that Raiford could be a variation of the place name Radford, which is found in several locations across England, including Nottinghamshire, Warwickshire, and Oxfordshire. Radford itself is derived from the Old English words "rad" meaning "road" and "ford," indicating a ford or river crossing along a main road.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Raiford surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire from the late 12th century, where a person named Gilbertus de Radeford is mentioned. This entry provides evidence that the name was in use during the late 12th or early 13th century.

In the 14th century, records show a Robert de Rayford living in Wiltshire, England. This spelling variation further supports the connection to the place name Radford or a similar location.

Notable individuals with the surname Raiford include Sir William Raiford, a member of the English gentry who lived in Worcestershire in the late 16th century. Another figure was John Raiford, a prominent merchant and landowner in the American colony of Virginia in the 17th century.

During the 18th century, a notable bearer of the name was Reverend Thomas Raiford, an English clergyman and author who published several religious works in the 1720s and 1730s.

In the 19th century, James Raiford was a successful entrepreneur and industrialist based in Birmingham, England, known for his innovations in the manufacturing of metal products.

While the surname Raiford is not exceptionally common, it has a rich history spanning several centuries, with its origins rooted in the place names and geographical features of medieval England.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Raiford

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

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

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

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