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

Rayford, 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 Rayford surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rayford in America

Rayford is the 7270th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rayford surname appeared 4,584 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Rayford.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rayford 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 Rayford

The surname RAYFORD is of English origin and is believed to have originated in the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "ræd" meaning "advice" or "counsel" and "ford" meaning a shallow place where a river or stream can be crossed. This suggests that the name may have originally referred to a place where people would gather to seek advice or counsel, perhaps near a ford or river crossing.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of land and property ownership across England and parts of Wales commissioned by William the Conqueror. In this document, there are references to a place called "Radford" in Nottinghamshire, which may have been the origin of the surname.

The RAYFORD name can also be traced back to various places in England, such as Radford in Oxfordshire, Radford in Warwickshire, and Radford in Nottinghamshire. These place names may have been derived from the same Old English roots as the surname.

Some notable individuals with the surname RAYFORD include:

1. John RAYFORD (c. 1550-1625), an English composer and musician during the Renaissance period.
2. William RAYFORD (1670-1738), a English colonist and landowner in Virginia, USA.
3. Elizabeth RAYFORD (1725-1802), a British author and poet known for her collections of poetry published in the 18th century.
4. Charles RAYFORD (1820-1890), an English explorer and naturalist who traveled extensively in Africa and wrote several books about his expeditions.
5. Mary RAYFORD (1875-1958), an American educator and civil rights activist who fought for equal educational opportunities for African American students in the early 20th century.

While the RAYFORD surname has undergone various spellings over the centuries, including Radford, Redeford, and Redford, its origins can be traced back to the historical regions of England where it first emerged and gained prominence.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rayford

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

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

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

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