2010
#160,975
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Waford
An Anglo-Saxon locational surname likely derived from a location named Walford.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 117 Americans carry the last name Waford. 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 Waford 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 Waford 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 Waford, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Black (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Waford
The surname WAFORD is of English origin, with roots tracing back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words "wæd" meaning "ford" and "ford" meaning "a shallow place where a river or stream can be crossed." This suggests that the name likely originated from a location or place name associated with a ford or crossing point over a body of water.
The earliest recorded instances of the WAFORD surname can be found in various historical documents from the 13th and 14th centuries. One notable reference is found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire, dated around 1273, which mentions a landowner named Walter de Wadford. This indicates that the name was already established in certain regions of England during that time.
In the Domesday Book of 1086, there are several entries related to place names containing the "ford" element, such as Watford in Hertfordshire and Wadford in Somerset. While these specific locations may not be directly linked to the WAFORD surname, they provide evidence of the prevalence of similar place names that could have influenced the formation of the surname.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the WAFORD surname was John Waford, who was born in the late 14th century and served as a member of the Parliament of England in the early 15th century, representing the borough of Bridgwater.
Another notable figure was Sir Robert Waford, a prominent English soldier and landowner who lived in the late 15th century. He played a significant role in the Wars of the Roses and was knighted for his military service.
In the 16th century, there was a William Waford, born around 1530, who was a respected scholar and educator. He served as the headmaster of the prestigious Eton College for several years in the latter half of the century.
During the 17th century, a John Waford, born in 1612, was a notable merchant and trader who established successful business ventures in London and the surrounding areas.
One of the more recent historical figures with the WAFORD surname was Elizabeth Waford, born in 1789, who was a pioneering educator and advocate for women's education. She founded several schools and wrote extensively on the importance of providing equal educational opportunities for girls and young women.
These examples demonstrate the longevity and historical significance of the WAFORD surname, which has been present in various regions of England for several centuries. While the name's origins can be traced back to Old English words related to fords or river crossings, the individuals who bore this surname have made valuable contributions across various fields, including politics, military service, education, and commerce.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Waford
Among Census respondents with the surname Waford, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Black (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Waford 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 Waford surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.1% · 95
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 3
- Black or African American2.0% · 2
- Two or more races2.0% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Waford
Waford appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#154,755
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
+2 bearers (+2.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 6,220 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #160,975 | 100 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #154,755 | 102 | 0.03 | +2 bearers (+2.0%) | Up 6,220 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 Waford 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 | #160,975 | #154,755 | 3.9% |
| Count | 100 | 102 | 2.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 13.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Waford bearers went from 100 to 102 (+2.0% change). The surname moved up 6,220 positions in the national ranking, going from #160,975 to #154,755.
FAQ
Waford surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Waford?
Name Census estimates that about 117 living Americans carry the surname Waford. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,929,524 residents.
How common is Waford?
Waford 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 Waford. 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 Waford.
Has Waford become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Waford went from 100 recorded bearers to 102. That is an increase of 2 (+2.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #160,975 to #154,755.
What does the Census say about the background of Waford?
Among Census respondents with the surname Waford, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Black (2.0%). 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 Waford in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.1% (95 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Waford appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.1%), Hispanic (2.9%), Black (2.0%). 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 Waford (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 Waford mean?
An Anglo-Saxon locational surname likely derived from a location named Walford. 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 Waford (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 people have the last name Waford?
You can see how common the surname Waford is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.