Explore the Family Name Pafford
The meaning of Pafford
English (Hampshire): from Parford in Drewsteignton (Devon), which is recorded as Patford(a) in 1086 and Pafford’ in 1242, or Pafford in Moretonhampstead (Devon). Parford in Drewsteignton derives from Old English pæth ‘path, track’ + ford ‘ford’. Pafford in Moretonhampstead probably has the same etymology, but, due to a lack of early placename forms, this cannot be certain.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Pafford in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Pafford has seen a slight decrease in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Pafford ranked as the 17,040th most common surname in the United States, with a count of 1,537 individuals bearing this name. However, by 2010, it had slipped to the 17,699th position, despite an increase in the raw count to 1,585 individuals. This represents a rank change of -3.87% over the decade. The proportion of people with the surname Pafford also declined slightly per 100,000 people from 0.57 to 0.54, a change of -5.26%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #17,040 | #17,699 | -3.87% |
| Count | 1,537 | 1,585 | 3.12% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.57 | 0.54 | -5.26% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Pafford
The ethnic identity of individuals with the surname Pafford shifted somewhat between 2000 and 2010 according to the Decennial U.S. Census. While the majority of individuals identifying as white decreased slightly from 96.10% to 94.07%, there was a significant increase in those reporting two or more ethnicities, from 0.59% to 2.46%. The percentage of those identifying as Hispanic also increased marginally from 2.15% to 2.33%. Interestingly, the census data for 2010 shows a small fraction (0.50%) of individuals with the Pafford surname identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander, a group that was not represented in the 2000 data. Conversely, those identifying as Black, who made up 0.59% of the total in 2000, were not present in the 2010 data.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 96.1% | 94.07% | -2.11% |
| Two or More Races | 0.59% | 2.46% | 316.95% |
| Hispanic | 2.15% | 2.33% | 8.37% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0.5% | 0% |
| Black | 0.59% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |