2000
#3,843
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,491
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.15
Rare Last name
Wofford
Derived from a place name meaning "enclosure frequented by wolves" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 9,541 Americans carry the last name Wofford. That puts it at #4,137 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.78 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 35,924 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wofford 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
9.5K
1 in 35,924
Census rank
#4,137
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
8.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 8,320 bearers of the surname Wofford in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.78 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4137th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wofford, the largest self-reported group is White at 62.2%. The next largest groups are Black (24.8%) and Two or More Races (5.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wofford
The surname Wofford has its origins in England, originating in the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "wulf" meaning wolf and "ford" meaning a shallow river crossing. This suggests that the name initially referred to someone who lived near a ford where wolves were known to cross.
The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the 13th century, with references in historical documents such as the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1273, which mention a Robert de Wlfford. The spelling variations during this time included Wulvesford, Wolvesford, and Wolford.
In the 14th century, the name appeared in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire, a census-like record of landowners and tenants. This document lists a Radulphus de Wolverford, indicating the presence of the family in this region.
The Wofford name has been linked to various places in England, including the village of Wolford in Warwickshire and the town of Wolford in Devon. These place names likely originated from the same Old English roots as the surname, further solidifying the connection to these areas.
Notable individuals bearing the Wofford surname throughout history include:
1. Sir John Wofford (c. 1420 - 1492), an English soldier and landowner who fought in the Wars of the Roses.
2. Thomas Wofford (1558 - 1636), a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of London during the Elizabethan era.
3. Elizabeth Wofford (1668 - 1734), a renowned Quaker minister and author who traveled extensively throughout the American colonies, advocating for religious tolerance and social justice.
4. Benjamin Wofford (1780 - 1850), a successful businessman and philanthropist from South Carolina who donated funds to establish Wofford College, a prestigious liberal arts institution.
5. James Wofford (1944 - ), an American Olympic equestrian and renowned horse trainer, who competed in multiple Olympic Games and won numerous medals for the United States.
While the Wofford surname may not be as common as some others, its rich history and connections to various regions of England, as well as its notable bearers, have contributed to its enduring legacy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wofford
Among Census respondents with the surname Wofford, the largest self-reported group is White at 62.2%. The next largest groups are Black (24.8%) and Two or More Races (5.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Wofford 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 Wofford surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White62.2% · 5,172
- Black or African American24.8% · 2,061
- Two or more races5.9% · 494
- Hispanic or Latino4.2% · 348
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.5% · 204
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 41
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wofford
Wofford 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
#4,011
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,856
+365 bearers (+4.3%)
Per 100,000 3.00
Rank movement Down 168 places
2020
#4,137
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,320
-536 bearers (-6.1%)
Per 100,000 2.78
Rank movement Down 126 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,843 | 8,491 | 3.15 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,011 | 8,856 | 3.00 | +365 bearers (+4.3%) | Down 168 places |
| 2020 | #4,137 | 8,320 | 2.78 | -536 bearers (-6.1%) | Down 126 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 Wofford 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 | #4,011 | #4,137 | -3.1% |
| Count | 8,856 | 8,320 | -6.1% |
| Per 100K | 3.00 | 2.78 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wofford bearers went from 8,856 to 8,320 (-6.1% change). The surname moved down 126 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,011 to #4,137.
FAQ
Wofford surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wofford?
Name Census estimates that about 9,541 living Americans carry the surname Wofford. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 35,924 residents.
How common is Wofford?
Wofford ranks #4,137 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.78 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 8,320 people with the surname Wofford. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (9,541), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.78 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.78 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Wofford.
Has Wofford become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wofford went from 8,856 recorded bearers to 8,320. That is a decrease of 536 (-6.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,011 to #4,137.
What does the Census say about the background of Wofford?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wofford, the largest self-reported group is White at 62.2%. The next largest groups are Black (24.8%) and Two or More Races (5.9%). 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 Wofford in the 2020 Census, accounting for 62.2% (5,172 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wofford appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (62.2%), Black (24.8%), Two or More Races (5.9%). 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 Wofford (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 Wofford mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "enclosure frequented by wolves" in Old English. 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 Wofford (2.78 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 are called Wofford?
If you just want to know how many people have the last name Wofford, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.