Bradford
A habitational surname meaning “from Bradford,” originally referring to someone from a town or place called Bradford—literally, a broad ford.
The #628 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 5,716 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Bradford comes from Old English elements meaning “broad” and “ford,” referring to a wide river crossing. It began as a place-name for settlements by such a crossing, and later became a surname for people who came from one of those places. Because there were many Bradfords in England, the surname could arise independently in several counties.
History
The name is common across England because there were multiple places called Bradford, especially in Yorkshire and also in several other counties. Historical surname dictionaries treat it as a straightforward local surname, not a nickname or occupation. It spread with migration within Britain and later to North America and other English-speaking regions.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Bradford is one of those surnames that can trace to more than one family line, simply because the same place-name existed in several parts of England.
From the historical record
“Berks, Essex. Norfolk, York, and Suffolk. BRADFORD. A great town of York- shire, and places in cos. Devon, Lancaster, Nortlinmb., Stafford, Somerset, &c. BRADFUTE. The Scottish form of Broadfoot. BRA DING. A parish in the Isle of Wight. BRADLEY. Parishes, Src, in cos. Berks, Chester, Derby, Leicester, Lincoln, Hants,”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom