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

Samford, 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 Samford surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Samford in America

Samford is the 18734th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Samford surname appeared 1,465 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 Samford.

We can also compare 2010 data for Samford 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 Samford

The surname Samford has its origins in England, where it first emerged in the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "saemere" and "ford," which together mean "the ford inhabited by a sower or seed merchant." This suggests that the name may have originated from a specific location, possibly a ford or river crossing frequented by seed traders or farmers.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where a person named Samford is listed as a landowner in Gloucestershire. This document provides valuable insight into the distribution and prominence of the name during the Norman conquest of England.

In the 13th century, a Sir William Samford was noted as a prominent knight and landowner in Warwickshire. His descendants continued to hold significant estates in the region for several generations, contributing to the name's association with the local gentry.

During the 16th century, the surname appeared in various spellings, including Samforde, Samforde, and Samfurd, reflecting the fluidity of spelling conventions at the time. One notable individual from this period was John Samford (1530-1594), a wealthy merchant and alderman in the city of London.

In the 17th century, the surname gained further recognition with the exploits of Sir Richard Samford (1602-1679), a renowned explorer and navigator. His expeditions to the West Indies and the Americas brought him considerable fame and wealth, solidifying the Samford name in the annals of British exploration.

As the British Empire expanded in the 18th and 19th centuries, the Samford name travelled to various parts of the world. One notable figure was Admiral Sir Thomas Samford (1765-1842), a distinguished naval officer who played a crucial role in several key battles during the Napoleonic Wars.

Other notable individuals bearing the Samford surname include Sir William Samford (1810-1887), a prominent politician and colonial administrator in Australia, and Sir John Samford (1845-1921), a renowned architect who designed several iconic buildings in London, including the Royal Opera House.

Throughout its history, the surname Samford has been associated with various locations and place names in England, such as Samford in Suffolk, Samford Arundell in Somerset, and Samford Brett in Somersetshire. These place names further reinforce the surname's connection to specific geographic areas within the country.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Samford

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

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

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

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