Explore the Family Name Bickford
The meaning of Bickford
English: habitational name from either Beckford Farm in Membury (Devon), Bickford Town in Plympton Saint Mary (Devon), or Bickford in Staffordshire. Beckford Farm is from the Old English personal name Becca + Old English ford ‘ford’, whereas the other two examples are derived from the Old English personal name Bicca + ford ‘ford’. The surname is more common in Devon and Cornwall.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Bickford in the United States?
Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Bickford has seen a slight decrease in popularity between 2000 and 2010. The rank of the name dropped from 4234 to 4590, indicating a decrease of 8.41%. Furthermore, the count of individuals with this surname also experienced a minor decline, from 7752 in 2000 to 7728 in 2010, marking a decrease of 0.31%. Similarly, the proportion per 100,000 people of this surname also dropped by 8.71%, from 2.87 to 2.62.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #4,234 | #4,590 | -8.41% |
| Count | 7,752 | 7,728 | -0.31% |
| Proportion per 100k | 2.87 | 2.62 | -8.71% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Bickford
In terms of ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals that the majority of individuals bearing the Bickford surname identify as White, although there was a small decrease of 1.47% in this group from 2000 to 2010. The number of Bickfords identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and Black saw significant increases during this decade, growing by 80% and 88.46% respectively. There was also a notable increase in the Hispanic category, which rose by 57.25%. Those identifying as Two or more races saw a minimal decrease of 1.39%, while the American Indian and Alaskan Native category observed a growth of 23.53%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 95.94% | 94.53% | -1.47% |
| Hispanic | 1.38% | 2.17% | 57.25% |
| Two or More Races | 1.44% | 1.42% | -1.39% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.68% | 0.84% | 23.53% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.3% | 0.54% | 80% |
| Black | 0.26% | 0.49% | 88.46% |
Bickford ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Bickford is British & Irish, which comprises 51.6% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (28.8%) and Scandinavian (5.2%). Additional ancestries include Italian, Eastern European, Spanish & Portuguese, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Chinese.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 51.6% |
| French & German | 28.8% |
| Scandinavian | 5.2% |
| Other | 14.5% |
Possible origins of the surname Bickford
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Bickford have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 92.30% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 92.30% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 91.80% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 91.80% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 91.20% |
What Bickford haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Bickford is R-L664, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-L664 is descended from haplogroup R-M420. Other common haplogroups include R-M417 and R-CTS241, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Stetson, Cheatham, Prendergast, Willard, Couch, Ives, Dent, Judd, Keeney, Goodin.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Bickford surname are: H1, H, J1. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M420Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Bickford have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Bickford" Surname 43.8%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Bickford" Surname 31.0%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Bickford" Surname 22.9%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Bickford" Surname 15.3%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Bickford?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Bickford are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition