2000
#11,003
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,651
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.98
Rare Last name
Wilford
Derived from a place name meaning "willow ford," referring to a ford where willow trees grow.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,057 Americans carry the last name Wilford. That puts it at #11,316 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.89 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 112,121 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wilford 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 Wilford with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.1K
1 in 112,121
Census rank
#11,316
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,666 bearers of the surname Wilford in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.89 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11316th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wilford, the largest self-reported group is White at 54.7%. The next largest groups are Black (34.9%) and Hispanic (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wilford
The surname Wilford is of English origin and dates back to the medieval period. It is believed to be a locational name, derived from the place name Wilford, which can be found in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire. The name is thought to be composed of the Old English elements "wil" meaning "willow" and "ford" meaning a shallow river crossing.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname Wilford can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings and wealth undertaken by order of William the Conqueror. The Domesday Book references a place called "Willeford" in Nottinghamshire.
In the 13th century, records show a Walter de Wilford in Derbyshire and a John de Wylford in Nottinghamshire. These early spellings, "Wylford" and "Wileford," highlight the evolution of the name from its Old English roots.
A notable early bearer of the surname was Sir Thomas Wilford (c. 1455 - 1529), who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1491. He played a significant role in the construction of the famous Baynard's Castle in London.
Another prominent figure was Sir Ralph Wilford (c. 1614 - 1679), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for East Retford in Nottinghamshire during the 17th century.
In the literary realm, Francis Wilford (1761 - 1822) was an English Orientalist and scholar of Sanskrit and ancient Indian history. He made significant contributions to the study of Hindu mythology and culture.
The surname Wilford has also been associated with various place names, such as Wilford Village in Nottinghamshire and Wilford Hill in Nottingham. These locations may have influenced the spread and distribution of the surname over time.
While the surname Wilford is not among the most common surnames in English-speaking countries, it has a rich historical legacy spanning several centuries and continues to be borne by individuals across various regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wilford
Among Census respondents with the surname Wilford, the largest self-reported group is White at 54.7%. The next largest groups are Black (34.9%) and Hispanic (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Wilford 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 Wilford surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White54.7% · 1,459
- Black or African American34.9% · 931
- Hispanic or Latino4.7% · 125
- Two or more races4.5% · 119
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 18
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 14
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wilford
Wilford 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
#11,279
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,801
+150 bearers (+5.7%)
Per 100,000 0.95
Rank movement Down 276 places
2020
#11,316
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,666
-135 bearers (-4.8%)
Per 100,000 0.89
Rank movement Down 37 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,003 | 2,651 | 0.98 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,279 | 2,801 | 0.95 | +150 bearers (+5.7%) | Down 276 places |
| 2020 | #11,316 | 2,666 | 0.89 | -135 bearers (-4.8%) | Down 37 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 Wilford 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 | #11,279 | #11,316 | -0.3% |
| Count | 2,801 | 2,666 | -4.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.95 | 0.89 | -6.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wilford bearers went from 2,801 to 2,666 (-4.8% change). The surname moved down 37 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,279 to #11,316.
FAQ
Wilford surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wilford?
Name Census estimates that about 3,057 living Americans carry the surname Wilford. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 112,121 residents.
How common is Wilford?
Wilford ranks #11,316 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.89 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 2,666 people with the surname Wilford. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,057), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.89 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.89 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 Wilford.
Has Wilford become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wilford went from 2,801 recorded bearers to 2,666. That is a decrease of 135 (-4.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,279 to #11,316.
What does the Census say about the background of Wilford?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wilford, the largest self-reported group is White at 54.7%. The next largest groups are Black (34.9%) and Hispanic (4.7%). 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 Wilford in the 2020 Census, accounting for 54.7% (1,459 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wilford appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (54.7%), Black (34.9%), Hispanic (4.7%). 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 Wilford (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 Wilford mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "willow ford," referring to a ford where willow trees grow. 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 Wilford (0.89 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 Wilford?
If you just want to know how many people are called Wilford, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.