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

Sandefur, 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 Sandefur surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sandefur in America

Sandefur is the 11035th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sandefur surname appeared 2,881 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 Sandefur.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sandefur 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 Sandefur

The surname Sandefur has its origins in England, emerging during the medieval period. It is believed to be a locational name derived from a place called Sandford or Sandiford, with the latter part of the name, "fur," likely being a modification of the Old English word "ford," which refers to a shallow crossing or a ford over a river.

Records indicate that the name was first documented in the late 13th century, with one of the earliest known references appearing in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire in 1273, which mentions a person named William de Sandeford. This suggests that the name may have originated from a specific location called Sandford or Sandiford within the county of Cambridgeshire.

During the 14th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as Sandeford, Sandyforth, and Sandyfurth, reflecting regional variations in spelling and pronunciation. One notable individual bearing this name was John de Sandeforde, who was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire in 1327.

As the centuries progressed, the surname continued to evolve, with different branches of the family adopting slightly different spellings. Some notable individuals with the surname Sandefur include:

1. William Sandefur (c. 1580 - 1645), an English landowner and member of the gentry in Warwickshire.
2. Thomas Sandefur (1620 - 1687), a merchant and trader from London who established trade connections with the American colonies.
3. Elizabeth Sandefur (1755 - 1822), a writer and poet from Gloucestershire, known for her collection of romantic verses published in 1795.
4. James Sandefur (1810 - 1879), a prominent industrialist and entrepreneur from Manchester, who established several textile mills in the region.
5. Emily Sandefur (1875 - 1944), an educator and philanthropist from Yorkshire, who founded several schools for underprivileged children in the early 20th century.

While the surname Sandefur may have originated from a specific geographic location, it has since spread across various regions of England and beyond, carried by families and individuals who have contributed to various aspects of society throughout history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sandefur

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

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

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

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