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

Vanderford, 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 Vanderford surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Vanderford in America

Vanderford is the 14507th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Vanderford surname appeared 2,056 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 Vanderford.

We can also compare 2010 data for Vanderford 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 Vanderford

The surname VANDERFORD is of Anglo-Saxon and Dutch origin, tracing its roots to the regions of Friesland and Groningen in the Netherlands. The name derives from the Dutch words "van der" meaning "from the" and "ford" referring to a shallow crossing point of a river or stream. This suggests that the earliest bearers of this name may have resided near a ford or crossing point.

The earliest recorded mention of the name VANDERFORD can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings and property rights in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. This reference indicates that the name had already been established in England by the late 11th century, likely brought over by Anglo-Saxon or Dutch settlers.

During the Middle Ages, the name appeared in various spellings such as "Vanderfoord," "Vandervert," and "Vandervoort," reflecting the fluid nature of surname spellings at the time. One notable bearer of the name was Sir John Vanderford (1460-1528), a prominent English landowner and member of the gentry in Warwickshire.

In the 16th century, the VANDERFORD surname gained prominence in the Netherlands, where it was associated with several influential families. One such figure was Pieter Vanderford (1550-1615), a Dutch merchant and ship-owner who played a significant role in the establishment of the Dutch East India Company.

As the name spread across Europe, it also found its way to Scotland, where the Vanderford clan established themselves in the Scottish Lowlands. A notable member of this branch was Robert Vanderford (1620-1685), a Scottish soldier who fought in the English Civil War and later became a respected landowner in Ayrshire.

In the 18th century, the VANDERFORD name began to appear in North America, as many bearers of the name emigrated from Europe to the British colonies. One of the earliest recorded instances was that of William Vanderford (1725-1805), a farmer and landowner in Virginia who served in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War.

Throughout the 19th century, the VANDERFORD surname continued to be represented in various fields, including politics, business, and academia. Notable figures from this period include Joseph Vanderford (1810-1890), a successful businessman and philanthropist in Pennsylvania, and Mary Vanderford (1845-1923), an educator and advocate for women's rights in New York.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Vanderford

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

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

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

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