The Bedford surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 8,814 people carried this name — #4,029 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 33,400 people counted. That is up 2% from 8,651 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Bedford surname

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a local name, from where the family lived: ‘of Bedford’.

An early record he cites: Jordan de Bedeford, Oxfordshire, 1273 — Hundred Rolls.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 90 · public domain.

Among the farmers of England and Wales, 1880s

Bedford was found among the farmers of 2 counties.

It was most frequent in Huntingdonshire: 30 in every 10,000 farmers there — about 1 in 333. Guppy counted the farmers listed in each county’s directory and recorded a name only where it reached about 7 in every 10,000; where it does not appear, it was rarer than that, not absent.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Per 10,000 farmers, by county

Huntingdonshire 30
Hertfordshire 18

H. B. Guppy, «Homes of Family Names in Great Britain» (London, 1890), alphabetical list of English and Welsh names — public domain · farmers in Kelly’s Post Office Directories of the 1880s, per 10,000 farmers in each county.

In Scotland’s registers today

Bedford was recorded 10 times in Scotland’s registers of births, marriages and deaths in 2025.

That made it the 1929th most common name in those registers, shared with others on the same count. Each birth counts the child’s surname, each marriage both partners’ and each death the surname of the person who died — a yearly count of registrations, not of the people who live in Scotland.

National Records of Scotland, «Most Common Surnames, 2025» (published 26 May 2026): every surname recorded 10 or more times in the 2025 registers, and the series from 1975 · different spellings are counted separately — © Crown copyright 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

In print

Bedford in American newspapers,
1909–1917.

Newspaper page from The Ogden Standard carrying the name Bedford
The Ogden Standard 1917-09-19
Newspaper page from The Pacific Commercial Advertiser carrying the name Bedford
The Pacific Commercial Advertiser 1909-09-12
Newspaper page from The Daily Ardmoreite carrying the name Bedford
The Daily Ardmoreite 1917-08-17

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 3,534 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Bedford in Australian newspapers,
1820s–2010s.

56,067 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Bedford. The most, 11,606, date from the 1930s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in Queensland, at 1.8 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Queensland 18,592
New South Wales 15,866
Victoria 8,477
South Australia 5,263
Western Australia 3,885
Tasmania 3,454
ACT (Canberra) 399
Northern Territory 56

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Bedford.

Who carried it

People named Bedford,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Henry Moore Bedford d. 1880 · physician
  • William Bedford d. 1747 · physician
  • David Bedford d. 2018 · businessperson
  • John Bedford d. 1450 · politician
  • John Bedford d. 1451 · politician
  • Robert Bedford d. 1222 · Catholic priest

Wikidata (CC0) · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Bedford,
in the records of 7 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States1,027 records

1,027 records of the Bedford name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 254
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 192
  • Other U.S. records 581
  1. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Willie Bedford

    Born 1951; from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. U.S. Marine Corps, machinegunner; died in an accident 1970 in Quang Nam, South Vietnam. Buried at Wood National Cemetery, Wisconsin.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Wendell C. Bedford

    Born 1923 in Rhode Island. Enlisted 1943 at Providence; dyer from Kent County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1995, buried at Rhode Island Veteran Memorial Cemetery, Exeter, Rhode Island.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Mary Bedford

    Arrived at New York in 1852 aboard the New York from Liverpool, aged 27; laborer. From Ireland.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 1,027 records for Bedford in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia1,080 records

1,080 records of the Bedford name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 506
  • Tasmanian Names Index 208
  • Other Australian records 366
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Henry Bedford

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Asia, sailing from Portsmouth in 1841. Native of Wrexham, Denbighshire. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1847. Married 1847 in Campbell Town, Tasmania, aged 30.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Stephen Kermode Paul Bedford

    Died 1922 in Raymont Terrace, Mount Stuart, Tasmania. Will registered in Tasmania in 1923.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record William Joseph Bedford

    Born 1865 in Brighton, Tasmania. Married 1886 in Brighton, Tasmania, aged 20.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 1,080 records for Bedford in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · City of Ballarat, Avenue of Honour Plaques (CC BY 3.0 AU) · ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain).

Canada118 records

118 records of the Bedford name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 80
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 10
  • Other Canadian records 28
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record John Bedford

    Came to Ontario in 1877 aboard the Sarmatian, bound for Hamilton, Ontario; English.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Edith May Bedford

    Died 1988, aged 84; buried at Brookside Cemetery, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

    City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg.
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Herbert E. Bedford

    Died 1894 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.

Showing 3 of 118 records for Bedford in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

United Kingdom56 records

56 records of the Bedford name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 38
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 16
  • Other British records 2
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Pemberton Bedford

    Buried in 1822 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 34.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record John Bedford

    Will proved in 1932; of Laugharne, Carmarthenshire.

    National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record Thomas F. Bedford

    Killed or died by 1920. Named in the Denny and Dunipace roll of honour (1920).

    National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain)

Showing 3 of 56 records for Bedford in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain) · National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

New Zealand35 records

35 records of the Bedford name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 22
  • Thames-Coromandel District cemetery records 13
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record John Arthur Bedford

    Buried in 1915 at Omahu Cemetery, Thames-Coromandel District, Waikato, aged 57.

    Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Lucy Dorothy Bedford

    Died 1953, aged 49; buried at Ruru Lawn, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record John Francis Bedford

    Died 1945, aged 46; buried at Bromley Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 35 records for Bedford in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

France11 records

11 records of the Bedford name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Nelly Fernande Bedford

    Born 1919 in Modane (Savoie); died 1999 in Spain.

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record John Victor James Bedford

    Born 1924 in Sainte-Adresse; died 1992 in Montivilliers (Seine-Maritime).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  3. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Christopher Guy Bedford

    Born 1938 in Great Britain; died 1998 in Granzay-Gript (Deux-Sèvres).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Showing 3 of 11 records for Bedford in France.

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Netherlands4 records

4 records of the Bedford name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch population registers 2
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 2
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Thomas David Bedford

    Died 1894 in Rotterdam, aged 32.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Rotterdam (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Alice Bedford

    In the population register of Woensel; born 1893 in Preuslitz.

    Open Archives, Regionaal Historisch Centrum Eindhoven (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 2 of 4 records for Bedford in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Bedford.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Bedford is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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