2000
#76,946
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 232
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.09
Very Rare Last name
Melford
A habitational surname derived from the town of Melford in Suffolk, England.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 276 Americans carry the last name Melford. That puts it at #83,936 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.08 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,241,864 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Melford surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
276
1 in 1,241,864
Census rank
#83,936
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
241
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 241 bearers of the surname Melford in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.08 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 83936th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Melford, the largest self-reported group is White at 62.7%. The next largest groups are Black (22.8%) and Hispanic (7.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Melford
The surname Melford is of English origin, and it is believed to have emerged in the medieval period around the 13th or 14th century. It is derived from the place name Melford, which is a town located in the county of Suffolk, England. The name Melford itself is thought to be derived from the Old English words "mel" meaning "mill" and "ford" meaning "a shallow place where a river or stream can be crossed."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Melford can be traced back to the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where a person named Robert de Melford was mentioned. This suggests that the name was already in use by that time and was likely derived from the place name Melford.
In the 14th century, a prominent figure named Sir John Melford was recorded in historical documents. He was a knight who served during the reign of King Edward III and participated in the Hundred Years' War against France. Sir John Melford was born around 1320 and died in 1380.
Another notable individual with the surname Melford was Thomas Melford, who lived in the 16th century. He was a merchant and landowner in the town of Melford, and his family played a significant role in the local community during that period.
In the 17th century, a woman named Elizabeth Melford gained recognition as a renowned playwright and poet. She was born in 1625 in Melford and was celebrated for her literary works, which often explored themes of love and nature.
During the 18th century, a prominent figure named William Melford was recorded as a wealthy landowner and philanthropist in the county of Suffolk. He was born in 1712 and made substantial contributions to the local community through his charitable endeavors.
It is worth noting that the surname Melford may also have variations in spelling, such as Melfort or Melfourd, which were more common in earlier times. Additionally, the name has been associated with various place names in Suffolk, such as Melford Hall, which was a historic manor house and estate owned by the Melford family.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Melford
Among Census respondents with the surname Melford, the largest self-reported group is White at 62.7%. The next largest groups are Black (22.8%) and Hispanic (7.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Melford bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Melford surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White62.7% · 151
- Black or African American22.8% · 55
- Hispanic or Latino7.5% · 18
- Two or more races7.1% · 17
Timeline
Historical Census data for Melford
Melford appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#79,598
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 239
+7 bearers (+3.0%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Down 2,652 places
2020
#83,936
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 241
+2 bearers (+0.8%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Down 4,338 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #76,946 | 232 | 0.09 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #79,598 | 239 | 0.08 | +7 bearers (+3.0%) | Down 2,652 places |
| 2020 | #83,936 | 241 | 0.08 | +2 bearers (+0.8%) | Down 4,338 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Melford surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #79,598 | #83,936 | -5.4% |
| Count | 239 | 241 | 0.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.08 | 0.08 | 0.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Melford bearers went from 239 to 241 (+0.8% change). The surname moved down 4,338 positions in the national ranking, going from #79,598 to #83,936.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Melford
FAQ
Melford surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Melford?
Name Census estimates that about 276 living Americans carry the surname Melford. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,241,864 residents.
How common is Melford?
Melford ranks #83,936 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.08 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 241 people with the surname Melford. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (276), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.08 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.08 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Melford.
Has Melford become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Melford went from 239 recorded bearers to 241. That is an increase of 2 (+0.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #79,598 to #83,936.
What does the Census say about the background of Melford?
Among Census respondents with the surname Melford, the largest self-reported group is White at 62.7%. The next largest groups are Black (22.8%) and Hispanic (7.5%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Melford in the 2020 Census, accounting for 62.7% (151 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Melford appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (62.7%), Black (22.8%), Hispanic (7.5%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Melford (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Melford mean?
A habitational surname derived from the town of Melford in Suffolk, England. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Melford (0.08 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Melford?
Want to know how many people have the last name Melford? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.