Explore the Family Name Rumford

The meaning of Rumford

English (North Yorkshire and Durham): 1. English (northern): variant of a habitational name from a lost or as yet unlocated place called Rounthwait(e) (perhaps named with Old Norse raun ‘rowan tree’ + thveit ‘clearing’), perhaps in Durham or East Yorkshire. 2. perhaps also a habitational name from Romford (Essex), which is probably named in Old English with rūm ‘roomy, spacious, wide’ + ford ‘ford, river crossing’.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Rumford in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Rumford has seen a decrease between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it ranked 41,793 in popularity, dropping to 46,725 in 2010, a change of -11.8%. The count of individuals with this surname also fell from 490 in 2000 to 455 in 2010, marking a decline of 7.14%. The proportion per 100k of the population with this surname also dipped by 16.67% over the decade.

20002010Change
Rank#41,793#46,725-11.8%
Count490455-7.14%
Proportion per 100k0.180.15-16.67%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Rumford

In terms of ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals that the majority of individuals with the Rumford surname identified as White, making up 92.65% in 2000 and 91.87% in 2010. This represented a slight decrease of -0.84% over the period. A small percentage identified as Black, with an increase from 4.69% in 2000 to 5.05% in 2010. Additionally, although there were no individuals who identified as Hispanic or Asian/Pacific Islander in 2000, by 2010, 1.32% of the Rumfords identified as Hispanic. Meanwhile, the proportion of individuals identifying as two or more races saw a minor reduction from 1.43% to 1.32%. Notably, no Rumfords identified as American Indian and Alaskan Native during these years.

20002010Change
White92.65%91.87%-0.84%
Black4.69%5.05%7.68%
Two or More Races1.43%1.32%-7.69%
Hispanic0%1.32%0%
Asian/Pacific Islander0%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%