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

Stafford, 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 Stafford surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Stafford in America

Stafford is the 747th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Stafford surname appeared 46,394 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 16 people would have the surname Stafford.

We can also compare 2010 data for Stafford 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 Stafford

The surname Stafford originated in England during the medieval period. It is a locational name derived from the town of Stafford in Staffordshire, which takes its name from the Old English words "stæf" meaning staff or crosier and "ford" meaning a shallow river crossing or ford.

The earliest recorded mention of the name Stafford can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Stadford." This reference indicates that the name was already well-established in the region by the time of the Norman Conquest.

In the 12th century, a notable bearer of the name was Ralph de Stafford, who served as Sheriff of Staffordshire and Shropshire during the reign of King Henry II. His son, Hervey de Stafford, accompanied King Richard I on the Third Crusade to the Holy Land in 1190.

During the 13th century, the powerful Stafford family rose to prominence, with Edmund de Stafford becoming the 1st Baron Stafford in 1298. His descendants played significant roles in the Wars of the Roses, with Humphrey Stafford, 1st Duke of Buckingham (1402-1460) being a prominent Lancastrian supporter.

Another notable bearer of the name was Sir William Stafford (1554-1612), an English explorer and navigator who commanded several voyages to the West Indies and South America in the late 16th and early 17th centuries.

In the realm of literature, the name is associated with the English poet and satirist, Robert Stafford (1603-1666), who was known for his biting criticisms of the political and social climate of his time.

Moving into the 18th century, John Stafford (1714-1795) was a prominent English clergyman and scholar who served as the Archdeacon of Richmond and held numerous academic positions at the University of Cambridge.

The name Stafford has also been carried by several notable American figures, including the statesman Lewis Stafford (1779-1833), who served as the 5th Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Ohio, and the Civil War general Joab Stafford (1836-1907), who fought for the Union Army during the American Civil War.

Throughout its history, the surname Stafford has been associated with various spellings, including Stafforde, Staforde, and Staffordshire, reflecting its locational origins and the evolution of English orthography over time.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Stafford

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

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

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

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