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

Wafford, 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 Wafford surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Wafford in America

Wafford is the 22503rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Wafford surname appeared 1,143 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Wafford.

We can also compare 2010 data for Wafford 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 Wafford

The surname Wafford is believed to have originated in England, specifically in the county of Staffordshire. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "wathford" or "watheford," which refer to a shallow ford or a crossing over a river.

One of the earliest recorded instances of this surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Wadeford" in reference to a location in Staffordshire. This suggests that the name may have initially been used as a placename before evolving into a surname.

During the Middle Ages, the surname Wafford was predominantly found in the counties of Staffordshire and Warwickshire, indicating that these areas were likely the epicenters of its early development. Over time, various spellings emerged, such as Wadeford, Wadford, and Watford, reflecting the phonetic variations common in that era.

In the 14th century, records show a William de Wafford residing in Staffordshire, indicating the presence of the surname in that region. Another notable figure was Sir John Wafford, a member of the English gentry who lived in the late 15th century and held land in Warwickshire.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname Wafford began to spread more widely across England. One prominent individual was Richard Wafford, a lawyer and landowner who was born in 1568 in Worcestershire and served as a Member of Parliament for that county.

In the 18th century, the Wafford family had established themselves in various parts of England, including Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. One notable figure from this period was William Wafford (1725-1798), a wealthy merchant and landowner from Yorkshire.

As the centuries progressed, the Wafford surname continued to be found across England, with branches of the family settling in different regions. Some notable individuals include Sir Charles Wafford (1823-1892), a military officer and politician from Essex, and Emily Wafford (1879-1964), a renowned artist and painter from Gloucestershire.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wafford

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

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

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

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