The Benford surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 3,995 people carried this name — #8,293 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 74,100 people counted. That is up 6% from 3,761 in 2000.

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In print

Benford in American newspapers,
1856–1896.

Newspaper page from Tribune And Telegraph carrying the name Benford
Tribune And Telegraph 1856-05-08
Newspaper page from Burlington Weekly Free Press carrying the name Benford
Burlington Weekly Free Press 1869-03-26
Newspaper page from Martinsburg Independent carrying the name Benford
Martinsburg Independent 1896-04-25

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 5,184 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Benford in Australian newspapers,
1840s–1950s.

244 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Benford. The most, 57, date from the 1900s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in Western Australia, at 3.4 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Western Australia 72
South Australia 46
Victoria 46
New South Wales 36
Queensland 35
Tasmania 9

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

Who carried it

People named Benford,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Frank Benford 1883–1948 · engineer
  • Robert J. Benford 1905–1991 · physician
  • Tommy Benford 1905–1994 · drummer
  • James R. Benford 1913–2001
  • Harry Benford 1917– · engineer

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

In the public record

People named Benford,
in the records of 5 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 States187 records

187 records of the Benford name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 93
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 49
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 16
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 11
  • U.S. alien registration index, 1940–1955 10
  • New York State death index (outside NYC), 1957–2001 4
  • Sacramento County historic burials 2
  • U.S. service members who died in the Vietnam War 2
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Thomas H. Benford

    Born 1921 in Iowa. Enlisted 1942 at Camp Dodge Herrold; driver from Scott County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1975, buried at Rock Island National Cemetery, Illinois.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Jonas Benford

    Born 1945; from Chicago, Illinois. U.S. Marine Corps, rifleman; killed in action 1968 in Quang Nam, South Vietnam.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Mary Benford

    Arrived at Boston in 1850 aboard the Anglo-American from Liverpool, aged 29; domestic. From Ireland.

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

Showing 3 of 187 records for Benford in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · 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: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia16 records

16 records of the Benford name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 9
  • Tasmanian Names Index 4
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 3
  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 George Benford

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Sarah, sailing from London in 1836. Native of Leicester, Leicestershire. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1847. Married 1848 in Hobart, Tasmania, aged 34.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Samuel Benford

    Arrived in Victoria in 1852 aboard the Prince Regent, aged 28; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Edwin Benford

    Arrived in Queensland in 1883 aboard the Duke of Buckingham, aged 20.

    Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 16 records for Benford 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). 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); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

United Kingdom3 records

3 records of the Benford name in the United Kingdom War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead
  1. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record A. E. Benford

    Leicestershire Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record J. B. Benford

    Coldstream Guards. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record E. W. Benford

    Northamptonshire Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Canada2 records

2 records of the Benford name in Canada Canadian Virtual War Memorial
  1. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record Ernest Patrick Benford

    Died in service in 1944.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.
  2. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record Frederick Alonzo Benford

    Died in service in 1942.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.

Counts: Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).

Netherlands2 records

2 records of the Benford name in the Netherlands Dutch population registers
  1. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Nelly Benford

    In a population register; born in Londen.

    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 John Benford

    In a population register; born 1831 in Londen.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Rotterdam (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Benford.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Benford 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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