2000
#12,650
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,244
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.83
Rare Last name
Sandford
A locational surname derived from various places in England meaning "sand ford," referring to a sandy river crossing.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,529 Americans carry the last name Sandford. That puts it at #13,259 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.74 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 135,530 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sandford 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 Sandford with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.5K
1 in 135,530
Census rank
#13,259
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,205 bearers of the surname Sandford in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.74 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13259th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sandford, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.8%. The next largest groups are Black (16.1%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sandford
The surname Sandford originates from England, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English words "sand" and "ford," referring to a sandy ford or a shallow crossing over a river or stream. This suggests that the name may have originally been borne by individuals who lived near such a location.
The Sandford surname is closely associated with various place names in England, including Sandford in Berkshire, Sandford in Devon, Sandford in Shropshire, and Sandford in Westmoreland (now Cumbria). These place names likely influenced the development and spread of the surname.
One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Worcestershire from 1221, which mention a John de Sandford. Additionally, the Hundred Rolls of 1273 record a William de Sandford in Oxfordshire.
Notable individuals with the Sandford surname throughout history include Sir Ralph Sandford (c. 1400-1459), a prominent English landowner and member of Parliament during the Wars of the Roses. Another notable figure was Sir Daniel Sandford (1598-1668), an English lawyer and politician who served as a member of the Long Parliament during the English Civil War.
In the literary world, Daniel Sandford (1766-1830) was an English clergyman and author known for his biographical works, including "The Life of John Colet" and "The Life of George Phillpott."
Moving forward in time, Sir Herbert Sandford (1826-1892) was a British army officer who served in the Crimean War and later became a Member of Parliament.
Lastly, Ralph Ayres Sandford (1855-1941) was an American lawyer and author who wrote extensively on legal topics and served as a judge in New York.
These examples illustrate the rich history and widespread presence of the Sandford surname across various fields and time periods, reflecting its enduring English origins.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sandford
Among Census respondents with the surname Sandford, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.8%. The next largest groups are Black (16.1%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Sandford 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 Sandford surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White73.8% · 1,627
- Black or African American16.1% · 355
- Two or more races4.8% · 106
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 91
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 14
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sandford
Sandford 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
#13,572
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,234
-10 bearers (-0.4%)
Per 100,000 0.76
Rank movement Down 922 places
2020
#13,259
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,205
-29 bearers (-1.3%)
Per 100,000 0.74
Rank movement Up 313 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,650 | 2,244 | 0.83 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,572 | 2,234 | 0.76 | -10 bearers (-0.4%) | Down 922 places |
| 2020 | #13,259 | 2,205 | 0.74 | -29 bearers (-1.3%) | Up 313 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 Sandford 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 | #13,572 | #13,259 | 2.3% |
| Count | 2,234 | 2,205 | -1.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.76 | 0.74 | -2.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sandford bearers went from 2,234 to 2,205 (-1.3% change). The surname moved up 313 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,572 to #13,259.
FAQ
Sandford surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sandford?
Name Census estimates that about 2,529 living Americans carry the surname Sandford. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 135,530 residents.
How common is Sandford?
Sandford ranks #13,259 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.74 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 2,205 people with the surname Sandford. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,529), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.74 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.74 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 Sandford.
Has Sandford become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sandford went from 2,234 recorded bearers to 2,205. That is a decrease of 29 (-1.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #13,572 to #13,259.
What does the Census say about the background of Sandford?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sandford, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.8%. The next largest groups are Black (16.1%) and Two or More Races (4.8%). 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 Sandford in the 2020 Census, accounting for 73.8% (1,627 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sandford appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (73.8%), Black (16.1%), Two or More Races (4.8%). 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 Sandford (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 Sandford mean?
A locational surname derived from various places in England meaning "sand ford," referring to a sandy river crossing. 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 Sandford (0.74 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 common is the surname Sandford?
See how many people are called Sandford on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.