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

Watford, 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 Watford surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Watford in America

Watford is the 7194th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Watford surname appeared 4,646 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Watford.

We can also compare 2010 data for Watford 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 Watford

The surname Watford has its origins in England, with roots dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to be a locational surname derived from the town of Watford in Hertfordshire, England.

The name Watford itself is thought to come from the Old English words "wæd" and "ford," meaning "ford" or "shallow river crossing." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who lived near a ford or crossing point on a river.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Watford can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Watforde." This reference suggests that the town and, by extension, the surname were in use by the late 11th century.

In the 13th century, a man named Roger de Watford was recorded as a landowner in the Hertfordshire area. This provides evidence of the surname's usage during this time period.

During the 14th century, a prominent figure named John Watford served as the Sheriff of London in 1365. His position of authority suggests that the Watford name had gained some status and recognition by this point.

In the 16th century, a notable individual named William Watford (c. 1510-1567) was a member of the English Parliament and served as a Member of Parliament for Chipping Wycombe in 1558.

Another historically significant figure with the Watford surname was Sir Thomas Watford (c. 1555-1623), an English politician and diplomat who served as the Ambassador to France during the reign of King James I.

Moving into the 17th century, Edward Watford (1619-1700) was a prominent English clergyman and theologian who served as the Bishop of Carlisle from 1677 until his death.

In the 18th century, John Watford (1724-1799) was a notable English architect who designed several churches and public buildings in London and surrounding areas.

Throughout history, variations of the spelling have included Watforde, Watfurde, and Watforde, reflecting the evolution of the name over time and regional differences in pronunciation and spelling conventions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Watford

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

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

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

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