Explore the Family Name Rayford
The meaning of Rayford
1. English: perhaps a variant of Rayfield; compare Raffel. This surname is now rare in Britain. 2. English: perhaps a habitational name from a lost place in Devon, recorded as Wreyford in 1344. The place may take its name from the river Wray + Old English ford ‘ford’. 3. Probably an Americanized form of German Reifarth, Raifarth, or Reifert, from a personal name composed of the ancient Germanic elements rīc ‘power(ful)’ + frid ‘peace’.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Rayford in the United States?
Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Rayford has seen a slight increase between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked as the 7,332nd most popular surname in the United States, with about 4,186 individuals bearing this name. By 2010, the rank had risen slightly to 7,270th, with an increased count of roughly 4,584 individuals, representing a growth of 9.51%. Despite these changes, the proportion of people with the surname Rayford per 100,000 remained constant at 1.55.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #7,332 | #7,270 | 0.85% |
| Count | 4,186 | 4,584 | 9.51% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.55 | 1.55 | 0% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Rayford
According to the ethnic identity data from the Decennial U.S. Census, there were considerable changes noted from 2000 to 2010. The largest group with the Rayford surname were those identified as Black, accounting for 86.34% in 2000 and decreasing slightly to 85.08% in 2010. Meanwhile, the percentage of Rayfords identifying as White decreased by 9.29%, while those stating they were of Hispanic ethnicity increased by 51.49%. Individuals identifying as two or more races also rose by 54.30%. While Asian/Pacific Islander represented only a small portion of the population with the surname, their representation decreased by 31.82%. Lastly, American Indian and Alaskan Native representation increased by 63.16%, despite remaining a relatively minor group among those with the Rayford surname.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black | 86.34% | 85.08% | -1.46% |
| White | 9.36% | 8.49% | -9.29% |
| Two or More Races | 2.56% | 3.95% | 54.3% |
| Hispanic | 1.34% | 2.03% | 51.49% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.19% | 0.31% | 63.16% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.22% | 0.15% | -31.82% |