The Burford surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 4,905 people carried this name — #6,861 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 60,200 people counted. That is up 1% from 4,872 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Burford surname

From Old English Beorgford, equivalent to beorg (“mountain”) + ford (“ford”).

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Burford» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

As an English and Welsh surname

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

An early record he cites: Hugo de Bureford, Shropshire, 1273 — Hundred Rolls.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 148 · public domain.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

24 families named Burford, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 125 people lived in those households, 5.2 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 6 other spellings. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

Virginia 9
North Carolina 6
South Carolina 6
Maine 1
Pennsylvania 1
Maryland 1

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 232 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Burford in American newspapers,
1910–1927.

Newspaper page from The Harlem News carrying the name Burford
The Harlem News 1927-04-08
Newspaper page from The Southern Herald carrying the name Burford
The Southern Herald 1910-06-24
Newspaper page from The Donaldsonville Chief carrying the name Burford
The Donaldsonville Chief 1910-07-16

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 36,837 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Burford in Australian newspapers,
1820s–2000s.

19,680 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Burford. The most, 2,552, date from the 1910s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in South Australia, at 5.4 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

South Australia 13,119
New South Wales 2,820
Queensland 1,490
Victoria 1,001
Tasmania 714
Western Australia 487
ACT (Canberra) 34
Northern Territory 2

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

Who carried it

People named Burford,
with a public archive behind them.

  • William Burford
    William Burford 1807–1895 · politician
  • Nathaniel Macon Burford
    Nathaniel Macon Burford 1824–1898 · judge
  • William B. Burford
    William B. Burford 1846–1927 · engraver
  • John Burford 1778–
  • Christiana Burford 1780–1846
  • Robert Burford 1792–1861 · painter

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Burford,
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 States374 records

374 records of the Burford name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 189
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 65
  • Other U.S. records 120
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Edward A. Burford

    Born 1898 in California. Enlisted 1942 at San Francisco; watchman from San Francisco County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1967, buried at Golden Gate National Cemetery, California.

    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 Bobby Lee Burford

    Born 1931; from Lynchburg, Virginia. U.S. Army, field artillery cannoneer; declared dead 1950 in South Korea.

    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 Sarah Burford

    Arrived at New York in 1881 aboard the Republic from Liverpool and Queenstown, aged 48; servant. From Ireland.

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

Showing 3 of 374 records for Burford 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, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · 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).

Australia283 records

283 records of the Burford name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 139
  • Tasmanian Names Index 63
  • Other Australian records 81
  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 Thomas Burford

    Transported to New South Wales aboard the Earl Spencer, arriving 1813.

    Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Rebecca Burford

    Arrived in Victoria in 1853 aboard the Protector, aged 20; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Thomas Henry Burford

    Retired of Glenhuntly, Victoria; died 1973.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 283 records for Burford 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) · 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); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

Canada24 records

24 records of the Burford name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 18
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 3
  • Ontario immigration records, 1865–1883 3
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Civil record Ethel Burford

    Killed in the Halifax Explosion of 1917, aged 44.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Jas Burford

    Came to Ontario in 1882 aboard the Parisian, landing at Quebec, bound for Oakville, Ontario; English.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  3. 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 Edward Swift Burford

    Died in service in 1917.

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

Showing 3 of 24 records for Burford 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. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).

United Kingdom17 records

17 records of the Burford name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 12
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 4
  • Welsh wills index cards 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Ann Burford

    Buried in 1801 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 50.

    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 Marian Singleton Burford

    Will proved in 1921; of Bangor, Carnarvon.

    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 J. Burford

    Machine Gun Corps. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

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

Showing 3 of 17 records for Burford 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 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 Zealand5 records

5 records of the Burford name in New Zealand Christchurch City cemetery records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Arthur Jas Burford

    Died 1949, aged 83; buried at Ruru Lawn, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Hannah Burford

    Died 1920, aged 44; buried at Sydenham Cemetery, 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 Rewa Anne Burford

    Died 1988, aged 43; buried at Belfast Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 5 records for Burford in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City 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).

Netherlands2 records

2 records of the Burford name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 1
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 1
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Jaene Cecile Burford

    Died 1865 in Gouda, aged 22.

    Open Archives, Streekarchief Midden-Holland (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Civil record Sara Burford

    Baptised in 1616 in Utrecht.

    Open Archives, Het Utrechts Archief (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

France1 record

1 record of the Burford 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 Charles Edouard Burford

    Born 1910 in Faverges (Haute-Savoie); died 1994 in Belgium.

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

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).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Burford.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Burford 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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