2000
#13,675
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,034
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.75
Rare Last name
Ratchford
A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "rooks' ford" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,280 Americans carry the last name Ratchford. That puts it at #14,448 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.67 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 150,331 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ratchford 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 Ratchford with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.3K
1 in 150,331
Census rank
#14,448
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,988 bearers of the surname Ratchford in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.67 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14448th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ratchford, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.6%. The next largest groups are Black (24.8%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ratchford
The surname RATCHFORD originates from England and is believed to have emerged sometime in the 13th century. It is thought to be a locational name, derived from a place name that no longer exists or has evolved substantially over time. The name may have its roots in the Old English words "hræcc" (meaning "rake" or "hedge") and "ford" (a shallow river crossing).
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the RATCHFORD name dates back to the late 14th century, where it appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire. This suggests that the name may have originated in or around the region of Worcestershire, England.
In the 16th century, variations of the name, such as "Ratchforde" and "Ratchfforde," can be found in parish records from various parts of England, including Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire.
One notable historical figure bearing the RATCHFORD surname was Sir John Ratchford (1515-1589), a wealthy merchant and member of the Worshipful Company of Mercers in London. He served as Sheriff of London in 1559 and was knighted by Queen Elizabeth I in 1564.
Another individual of note was Robert Ratchford (1677-1743), a British colonial administrator who served as Deputy Governor of the Province of Pennsylvania from 1736 to 1737.
In the 18th century, the name appears in various records, such as the Militia Lists of Gloucestershire, where a Richard Ratchford is listed as serving in 1759.
In the 19th century, the RATCHFORD name can be found in census records and birth, marriage, and death registers across England, particularly in counties like Worcestershire, Gloucestershire, and Oxfordshire.
One notable 19th-century figure was John Ratchford (1822-1890), a British author and poet who published works such as "The Farmer's Boy" and "Rural Sketches."
While the RATCHFORD surname is not among the most common in England, it has a rich history spanning several centuries and has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including merchants, administrators, and writers.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ratchford
Among Census respondents with the surname Ratchford, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.6%. The next largest groups are Black (24.8%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Ratchford 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 Ratchford surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White66.6% · 1,324
- Black or African American24.8% · 494
- Two or more races4.3% · 86
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 61
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 12
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ratchford
Ratchford 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
#14,358
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,083
+49 bearers (+2.4%)
Per 100,000 0.71
Rank movement Down 683 places
2020
#14,448
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,988
-95 bearers (-4.6%)
Per 100,000 0.67
Rank movement Down 90 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,675 | 2,034 | 0.75 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,358 | 2,083 | 0.71 | +49 bearers (+2.4%) | Down 683 places |
| 2020 | #14,448 | 1,988 | 0.67 | -95 bearers (-4.6%) | Down 90 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 Ratchford 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 | #14,358 | #14,448 | -0.6% |
| Count | 2,083 | 1,988 | -4.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.71 | 0.67 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ratchford bearers went from 2,083 to 1,988 (-4.6% change). The surname moved down 90 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,358 to #14,448.
FAQ
Ratchford surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ratchford?
Name Census estimates that about 2,280 living Americans carry the surname Ratchford. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 150,331 residents.
How common is Ratchford?
Ratchford ranks #14,448 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.67 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,988 people with the surname Ratchford. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,280), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.67 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.67 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Ratchford.
Has Ratchford become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ratchford went from 2,083 recorded bearers to 1,988. That is a decrease of 95 (-4.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #14,358 to #14,448.
What does the Census say about the background of Ratchford?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ratchford, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.6%. The next largest groups are Black (24.8%) and Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Ratchford in the 2020 Census, accounting for 66.6% (1,324 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ratchford appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (66.6%), Black (24.8%), Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Ratchford (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 Ratchford mean?
A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "rooks' ford" in Old English. 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 Ratchford (0.67 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 last name Ratchford?
Find out how common the surname Ratchford is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.