2000
#7,213
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,270
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.58
Rare Last name
Watford
A locational surname referring to someone from the town of Watford in Hertfordshire, England, meaning "ford by the wading place."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,127 Americans carry the last name Watford. That puts it at #7,204 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.50 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 66,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Watford 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Watford with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.1K
1 in 66,853
Census rank
#7,204
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,471 bearers of the surname Watford in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.50 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7204th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Watford, the largest self-reported group is White at 56.4%. The next largest groups are Black (35.7%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Watford
Among Census respondents with the surname Watford, the largest self-reported group is White at 56.4%. The next largest groups are Black (35.7%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Watford 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 Watford surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White56.4% · 2,523
- Black or African American35.7% · 1,594
- Two or more races4.1% · 182
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 148
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 17
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.2% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Watford
Watford 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
#7,194
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,646
+376 bearers (+8.8%)
Per 100,000 1.58
Rank movement Up 19 places
2020
#7,204
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,471
-175 bearers (-3.8%)
Per 100,000 1.50
Rank movement Down 10 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,213 | 4,270 | 1.58 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,194 | 4,646 | 1.58 | +376 bearers (+8.8%) | Up 19 places |
| 2020 | #7,204 | 4,471 | 1.50 | -175 bearers (-3.8%) | Down 10 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 Watford 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 | #7,194 | #7,204 | -0.1% |
| Count | 4,646 | 4,471 | -3.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.58 | 1.50 | -5.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Watford bearers went from 4,646 to 4,471 (-3.8% change). The surname moved down 10 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,194 to #7,204.
FAQ
Watford surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Watford?
Name Census estimates that about 5,127 living Americans carry the surname Watford. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 66,853 residents.
How common is Watford?
Watford ranks #7,204 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.50 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,471 people with the surname Watford. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,127), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.5 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.50 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Watford.
Has Watford become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Watford went from 4,646 recorded bearers to 4,471. That is a decrease of 175 (-3.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,194 to #7,204.
What does the Census say about the background of Watford?
Among Census respondents with the surname Watford, the largest self-reported group is White at 56.4%. The next largest groups are Black (35.7%) and Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Watford in the 2020 Census, accounting for 56.4% (2,523 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Watford appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (56.4%), Black (35.7%), Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Watford (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 Watford mean?
A locational surname referring to someone from the town of Watford in Hertfordshire, England, meaning "ford by the wading place." 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 Watford (1.50 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 common is the surname Watford?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Watford on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.