Explore the Family Name Stafford
The meaning of Stafford
1. English: habitational name principally from Stafford (Staffordshire), but occasionally from other places with similar names, such as Stafford House in Ifield (Sussex), possibly East and West Stowford in East Down (Devon), and three minor places in Devon called Stafford, in Dolton, Broadhembury, and Colyton parishes. The places are all named with Old English ford ‘ford’ as the final element, but have different initial elements. The Staffordshire placename has Old English stæth ‘river bank, shore’; Stafford in Colyton (Devon) has Old English stān ‘stone, rock’; the Sussex placename has Old English stēor ‘steer, bullock’; East and West Stowford (Devon) have Old English stæf ‘staff, stave, rod’; Stafford in Dolton and Stafford in Broadhembury (Devon) may have Old English stæth, stān, or stæf. 2. Irish (Wexford): variant of Stocker.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Stafford in the United States?
According to the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Stafford saw a slight increase in count from 45,349 in 2000 to 46,394 in 2010, an uptick of 2.3%. However, its overall ranking among common surnames dropped from 689th place in 2000 to 747th place in 2010, reflecting a decrease of 8.42%. The proportion per 100,000 people also decreased by 6.42%, from 16.81 to 15.73.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #689 | #747 | -8.42% |
| Count | 45,349 | 46,394 | 2.3% |
| Proportion per 100k | 16.81 | 15.73 | -6.42% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Stafford
The Decennial U.S. Census provides insight into the change in ethnic identity associated with the surname Stafford between 2000 and 2010. The percentage of individuals identifying as White decreased slightly from 81.14% to 79.14%. Meanwhile, those identifying as Black saw a minor increase from 14.72% to 15.07%. The largest changes were noted among those identifying as Hispanic (1.48% to 2.23%, a growth of 50.68%) and those reporting two or more races (1.53% to 2.16%, an increase of 41.18%). Small increases were also observed among those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander (0.35% to 0.48%) and American Indian and Alaskan Native (0.78% to 0.93%).
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 81.14% | 79.14% | -2.46% |
| Black | 14.72% | 15.07% | 2.38% |
| Hispanic | 1.48% | 2.23% | 50.68% |
| Two or More Races | 1.53% | 2.16% | 41.18% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.78% | 0.93% | 19.23% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.35% | 0.48% | 37.14% |
Stafford 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 Stafford is British & Irish, which comprises 55.1% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (22.6%) and Eastern European (3.7%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Italian, Nigerian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Indigenous American.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 55.1% |
| French & German | 22.6% |
| Eastern European | 3.7% |
| Other | 18.6% |
Possible origins of the surname Stafford
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 Stafford have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 86.50% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 86.40% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 86.10% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 86.00% |
| West Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 85.90% |
What Stafford 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 Stafford is R-CTS241, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-CTS241 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-S11477 and R-P89.2, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Morgan, Jones, Phillips, Lewis, James, Matthews, Shaw, Evans, Price, Lloyd.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Stafford surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your 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 Stafford 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.
"Stafford" Surname 47.6%
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.
"Stafford" Surname 29.8%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Stafford" Surname 23.8%
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.
"Stafford" Surname 20.6%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Stafford?
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 Stafford are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition