Explore the Family Name Walford
The meaning of Walford
English: 1. habitational name from one or more of several places so named, such as Walford (Herefordshire), Walford in Leintwardine (also Herefordshire), Walford in Baschurch (Shropshire), and possibly Walford Hall in Hampton in Arden (Warwickshire), though this last may be a manorial placename deriving from the surname. The Herefordshire placenames probably derive from Old English walh ‘foreigner, Welshman’ (genitive plural wala) + ford ‘ford’. The Shropshire placename derives from Old English wella ‘well, spring, stream’ + ford. If it does not derive from the surname, the Warwickshire placename probably has the same etymology as the Herefordshire placenames. 2. perhaps occasionally a habitational name from Walford in Wimborne Minster (Dorset). The placename probably derives from Old English walt ‘unsteady’ + ford ‘ford’.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Walford in the United States?
Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Walford saw a decrease in popularity between 2000 and 2010. The rank of the name dropped by approximately 13.32%, moving from 25,885 in 2000 to 29,334 in 2010. Similarly, the count or number of people with this last name also decreased by about 9.64% during this same time period. This resulted in a decline in the proportion of people named Walford per 100,000, which fell by 18.18% from 0.33 to 0.27.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #25,885 | #29,334 | -13.32% |
| Count | 892 | 806 | -9.64% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.33 | 0.27 | -18.18% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Walford
The ethnic identity associated with the surname Walford shifted somewhat over the decade, according to the Decennial U.S. Census. There was no change in the number of Asian/Pacific Islanders or American Indian and Alaskan Natives with this surname, as both groups remained at zero for 2000 and 2010. However, the percentage of individuals who identify as two or more races grew by 56.30%, increasing from 1.35% to 2.11%. The percentage of White individuals with this surname declined by 7.48% over the ten-year period, while the percentages of individuals identifying as Hispanic and Black increased by 18.81% and 17.48%, respectively.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 73.09% | 67.62% | -7.48% |
| Black | 21.97% | 25.81% | 17.48% |
| Hispanic | 3.03% | 3.6% | 18.81% |
| Two or More Races | 1.35% | 2.11% | 56.3% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |