Bedford Name Origin, Meaning and Family History

Bedford Name Meaning: A habitational name from the county of Bedfordshire. Named after the 7th Century personal name 'Beda' and 'ford' a river crossing.

Anglo-Saxon in origin

Discover how your Bedford ancestors earned their living and spread across the country. Find out more about your family history by using the Free Search box.

Surname Distribution

Census frequency by county

Name Concentrations Within England and Wales

Bedford Surname Statistics


Top Professions for the Bedford family

Profession Census Frequency
School 884
Coal Miner Hewer 96
Farm Labourer 78
General Labourer 62
Private Means 60
Labourer 49
Farmer 41
General Servant (domestic) 37
At Home 35
Dressmaker 34
House Keeper 33
Clerk 32
Domestic Servant 30
Housekeeper 30
None 29
Bricklayer 26
Laundress 25
Dress Maker 24
At School 22
General Servant Domestic 21
House Painter 21
Shop Assistant 20
Assisting In The Business 20
Cloth Weaver 20
Butcher 19

Bedford Surname Variants Ranking

Rank Surname Match Census Frequency
1 Bedford 100% 52,597
2 Badford 86% 891
3 Beadford 88% 319
4 Bidford 86% 230

Did you know?

The surname Bedford is the most popular version of all its varients

Search for the Bedford family