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

Saffore, 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 Saffore surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Saffore in America

Saffore is the 107669th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Saffore surname appeared 165 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Saffore.

We can also compare 2010 data for Saffore 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 Saffore

The surname Saffore is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period, deriving from the Old English words "saeforn" or "saefern," which referred to a type of evergreen fern or plant commonly found in the countryside. This suggests that the name may have initially been a descriptive surname given to someone who lived near or worked with these particular plants.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, where a Richard Safforn is listed as residing in the county of Oxfordshire. This entry provides evidence that variations of the name, such as Safforn and Safforne, were in use during the 13th century.

In the 14th century, the Saffore surname is found in various historical documents, including manorial records and tax rolls. For example, a John Saffore is recorded as a landowner in the village of Little Staughton, Bedfordshire, in 1327. This suggests that the family had established roots in the region by that time.

During the 15th century, the Saffore name continued to spread across England, with notable individuals bearing the surname. One such person was Thomas Saffore, a merchant and alderman in the city of Bristol, who lived from approximately 1425 to 1489. His successful business ventures and civic involvement demonstrate the growing prominence of the Saffore family.

Another notable figure was Sir William Saffore, a knight who served in the Wars of the Roses during the latter half of the 15th century. He fought alongside the Yorkist forces and is mentioned in historical accounts of the Battle of Towton in 1461, where he displayed bravery and leadership on the field.

As the centuries progressed, the Saffore surname continued to evolve, with various spellings such as Safford, Safford, and Saffer appearing in different regions of England. These variations likely emerged due to regional dialects and the inconsistencies in record-keeping during those times.

Among the more prominent individuals bearing the Saffore name was Sir Thomas Saffore, a member of Parliament who represented the borough of Great Yarmouth in the early 17th century. He played an active role in local politics and was known for his advocacy of maritime trade interests.

In the 18th century, the Reverend John Saffore was a notable clergyman and scholar who served as the rector of St. Mary's Church in the village of Welford, Northamptonshire. He was renowned for his extensive writings on theology and contributed significantly to the intellectual discourse of his time.

Throughout its long history, the Saffore surname has maintained a presence across various regions of England, with families bearing this name contributing to various aspects of society, including commerce, politics, military service, and academia.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Saffore

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

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

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

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