The Stanford surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 21,295 people carried this name — #1,692 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 13,900 people counted. That is up 3% from 20,610 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Stanford surname

A habitational surname from Old English.

Various placenames from Old English stān (“stone”) + ford (“ford”).

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Stanford» (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 Stanford’.

An early record he cites: Florentia de Stanforde, Somerset, 1328–29 (2 Edward III) — Kirby's Quest (Somerset).

His entry covers Stanford and Staniford.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 713 · public domain.

Among the farmers of England and Wales, 1880s

Stanford was found among the farmers of 3 counties.

It was most frequent in Sussex: 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

Sussex 30
Dorset 21
Suffolk 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 the first U.S. census, 1790

55 families named Stanford, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 258 people lived in those households, 4.7 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 5 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

North Carolina 11
Massachusetts 10
Maryland 10
Maine 7
New York 5
New Hampshire 4
South Carolina 4
Pennsylvania 3
Connecticut 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. 263 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Stanford in American newspapers,
1891–1906.

Newspaper page from The Helena Independent carrying the name Stanford
The Helena Independent 1891-08-27
Newspaper page from The Portland Daily Press carrying the name Stanford
The Portland Daily Press 1901-08-23
Newspaper page from The Montgomery Advertiser carrying the name Stanford
The Montgomery Advertiser 1906-10-19

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 5,941 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Stanford in Australian newspapers,
1820s–2000s.

26,029 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Stanford. The most, 4,578, date from the 1900s. New South Wales has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in South Australia, at 1.3 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 11,252
Victoria 4,616
South Australia 4,019
Queensland 3,801
Western Australia 1,691
Tasmania 497
ACT (Canberra) 99
Northern Territory 11

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

Who carried it

People named Stanford,
with a public archive behind them.

  • John Stanford
    John Stanford 1754–1834 · Christian minister
  • Robert Stanford d. 1607 · politician
  • James J. Stanford d. 2012 · air traffic controller
  • Adelaide Stanford d. 1889
  • Eleanor Stanford d. 1707
  • Richard Stanford 1301–1401 · politician

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 Stanford,
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 States1,550 records

1,550 records of the Stanford name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 695
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 249
  • Other U.S. records 606
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Coston H. Stanford

    Born 1919 in Maryland. Enlisted 1941 at Fort George G Meade; driver from Wicomico County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 2000, buried at Eastern Shore Veterans Cemetery, Hurlock, Maryland.

    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 Ernest Lee Stanford

    Born 1947; from Adel, Georgia. U.S. Marine Corps, rifleman; died in an accident 1969 in Quang Tri, 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 Shienn Stanford

    Arrived at New York in 1848 aboard the New York from Liverpool, aged 10; laborer. From Ireland.

    U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain)

Showing 3 of 1,550 records for Stanford in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · 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 · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · City of Asheville (public domain, PDDL) · 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).

Australia536 records

536 records of the Stanford name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 258
  • Tasmanian Names Index 100
  • Other Australian records 178
  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 William Stanford

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Hyderabad, sailing from Downs in 1844. Native of Norfolk. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1850.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Fanny Stanford

    Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1843. Married 1843 in Launceston, Tasmania, aged 22.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (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 Eliza Stanford

    Arrived in Victoria in 1852 aboard the Persian, aged 36; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 536 records for Stanford 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). 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); Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Canada114 records

114 records of the Stanford name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 72
  • City of Calgary cemetery records 14
  • 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 Go Stanford

    Came to Ontario in 1873 aboard the Thames, 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 Mary Ann Stanford

    Buried in 1945 at Mount Hermon Cemetery, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, aged 86.

    Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax.
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Jennie Stanford

    Died 1957 in Chester, Lunenburg, Nova Scotia.

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

Showing 3 of 114 records for Stanford in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax. · 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. 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 Kingdom39 records

39 records of the Stanford name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 33
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 5
  • Scottish rolls of honour, First World War 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Mary Stanford

    Buried in 1819 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 54.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record James Vesey Stanford

    Born 1893. Killed or died by 1921. Named in the University of Edinburgh roll of honour, 1914-1919.

    National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (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 W. H. Stanford

    Durham Light Infantry. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

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

Showing 3 of 39 records for Stanford 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). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

New Zealand3 records

3 records of the Stanford name in New Zealand
  • Thames-Coromandel District cemetery records 2
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Catherine Jane Stanford

    Buried in 1903 at Shortland Cemetery, Thames-Coromandel District, Waikato, aged 77.

    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 Harriett Mary Stanford

    Died 1950, aged 66; buried at Bromley 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 John Stanford

    Buried in 1901 at Shortland Cemetery, Thames-Coromandel District, Waikato, aged 74.

    Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0) · 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).

France2 records

2 records of the Stanford 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 Arlette Doris Stanford

    Born 1909 in Reims (Marne); died 1979 in Marseille (Bouches-du-Rhône).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Showing 1 of 2 records for Stanford 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).

Ireland1 record

1 record of the Stanford name in Ireland County Galway graveyard records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Michael Stanford

    Died 1998, aged 90; buried at Lackagh (Old), Co. Galway.

    Galway County Council (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Galway County 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).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Stanford.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Stanford 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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