2000
#139,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Stanaford
A locational surname derived from a place named Stannaford, likely referring to someone originally from that town or region.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 117 Americans carry the last name Stanaford. That puts it at #154,755 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,929,524 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Stanaford 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.
Bearers in the US
117
1 in 2,929,524
Census rank
#154,755
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
102
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 102 bearers of the surname Stanaford in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154755th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Stanaford, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Stanaford
The surname Stanaford is of English origin and can be traced back to the late medieval period. It is believed to have originated from a location known as Stanforth or Stanfordham in Northumberland, England. The name is derived from the Old English words "stan" meaning stone and "ford" meaning a shallow river crossing, suggesting that the initial bearers of the name may have lived near a stone ford or bridge.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Stanaford appears in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from the year 1379, where a Robert de Stanaford is mentioned. The name is also found in the Subsidy Rolls of Northumberland in 1594, with an entry for a William Stanforth.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Stanaford surname was predominantly concentrated in the northern counties of England, particularly in Northumberland, Durham, and Yorkshire. Records from this period indicate variations in the spelling, such as Stanforth, Stainforth, and Staynforth.
In terms of notable individuals with the surname Stanaford, one can mention William Stanaford (1592-1672), a renowned English clergyman who served as the Rector of Brancepeth in County Durham. Another notable figure was John Stanaford (1618-1689), a wealthy merchant and landowner from Yorkshire, who played a significant role in the local community.
In the 18th century, the name Stanaford began to spread more widely across England, with records showing bearers of the name in counties like Lancashire, Nottinghamshire, and Lincolnshire. One notable individual from this period was Thomas Stanaford (1723-1795), a successful businessman and philanthropist from Nottingham.
The 19th century saw the Stanaford surname gain further prominence, with individuals such as Charles Stanaford (1809-1887), a renowned architect from London, and Elizabeth Stanaford (1832-1912), a pioneering educator and author from Lancashire.
Throughout history, the surname Stanaford has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including clergymen, merchants, architects, educators, and philanthropists. While the name may have originated from a specific geographical location, its bearers have left their mark across different regions of England and beyond.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Stanaford
Among Census respondents with the surname Stanaford, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Stanaford 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 Stanaford surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.1% · 96
- Two or more races4.9% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Stanaford
Stanaford 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
#132,206
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 128
+18 bearers (+16.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 7,551 places
2020
#154,755
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
-26 bearers (-20.3%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 22,549 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #139,757 | 110 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #132,206 | 128 | 0.04 | +18 bearers (+16.4%) | Up 7,551 places |
| 2020 | #154,755 | 102 | 0.03 | -26 bearers (-20.3%) | Down 22,549 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 Stanaford 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 | #132,206 | #154,755 | -17.1% |
| Count | 128 | 102 | -20.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -14.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Stanaford bearers went from 128 to 102 (-20.3% change). The surname moved down 22,549 positions in the national ranking, going from #132,206 to #154,755.
FAQ
Stanaford surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Stanaford?
Name Census estimates that about 117 living Americans carry the surname Stanaford. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,929,524 residents.
How common is Stanaford?
Stanaford ranks #154,755 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 102 people with the surname Stanaford. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (117), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Stanaford.
Has Stanaford become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Stanaford went from 128 recorded bearers to 102. That is a decrease of 26 (-20.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #132,206 to #154,755.
What does the Census say about the background of Stanaford?
Among Census respondents with the surname Stanaford, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.0%). 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 Stanaford in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.1% (96 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Stanaford appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.1%), Two or More Races (4.9%), American Indian/Alaska Native (1.0%). 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 Stanaford (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 Stanaford mean?
A locational surname derived from a place named Stannaford, likely referring to someone originally from that town or region. 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 Stanaford (0.03 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 many Americans have the surname Stanaford?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.