Show ContentsBuford History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The enchanting region of Bourgogne was the historical homeland of the prominent surname Buford. Buford is a topographic surname, which is a type of hereditary surname. These were given to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree. Habitation names form the other broad category of surnames that were derived from place-names. They were derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads. Other local names are derived from the names of houses, manors, estates, regions, and entire counties. As a general rule, the greater the distance between an individual and their homeland, the larger the territory they were named after. For example, a person who only moved to another parish would be known by the name of their original village, while people who migrated to a different country were often known by the name of a region or country from which they came.

Early Origins of the Buford family

The surname Buford was first found in Bourgogne.

Jacques Bouffard, born in 1655, son of Jean and Marguerite (née Le Poithier), was a French farmer that settled in Canada in the 17th century. He married Anne Leclerc, daughter of Jean and Marie (née Blanquet), at Sainte-Famille on 5th March 1680. 1

Early History of the Buford family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Buford research. Another 23 words (2 lines of text) covering the years 1597, 1830, 1843, 1885, 1891 and 1898 are included under the topic Early Buford History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Buford Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Bouffard, Buffard, Boufort, Bouffort, Bouford, Boufford, Buford, Bufford, Buffort and many more.

Early Notables of the Buford family

Notable amongst the family at this time was Jean de Bouffard de Madiane, born in 1597 in Castres, who was a memorialist and was famous for his efforts and work as a partisan of the peace. Auguste Bouffard, born in Paris in 1885, worked as an enological chemist, or a chemist studying the science of wine and wine-making, in Paris. In Canada as well at this time there were members of the...
Another 71 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Buford Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Buford Ranking

In the United States, the name Buford is the 2,739th most popular surname with an estimated 12,435 people with that name. 2


United States Buford migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Buford Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Richard Buford, who landed in Virginia in 1635 3
Buford Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Thomas Y Buford, who arrived in Texas in 1835 3
  • Mrs. M. P. Buford, aged 44, who immigrated to America, in 1892
  • Joseph S. Buford, aged 46, who immigrated to the United States, in 1896
Buford Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Eleanor Roy Buford, aged 25, who landed in America, in 1903
  • C. N. Buford, who immigrated to the United States, in 1906
  • Charlotte Buford, aged 60, who landed in America, in 1907
  • Blanche Buford, aged 50, who landed in America, in 1907
  • Lucy D. Buford, aged 54, who settled in America, in 1907
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Buford (post 1700) +

  • Earl Buford (1941-2023), American police officer, Pittsburgh Police Chief from June 15, 1992 until December 29, 1995
  • Tom Buford (1949-2022), American politician, Member of the Kentucky Senate (1991-2021)
  • George "Mojo" Buford (1929-2011), American blues harmonica player, best known for his work in Muddy Waters band
  • Algernon Sidney Buford (1826-1911), American president of the Richmond and Danville Railroad
  • Joe Buford (b. 1967), American NASCAR racecar driver from Franklin, Tennessee
  • Maury Anthony Buford (b. 1960), American NFL football punter
  • Napoleon Bonaparte Buford (1807-1883), American soldier, Union general in the American Civil War
  • William Buford (b. 1990), American basketball player
  • Abraham Buford (1747-1833), Continental Army officer during the American Revolutionary War, commanding officer of the American forces at the Battle of Waxhaws
  • Damon Buford (b. 1970), American retired Major League Baseball player
  • ... (Another 5 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)


  1. Olivier, Reginald L. Your Ancient Canadian Family Ties. Logan: The Everton Publishers, Inc., P.O. Box 368, 1972. Print
  2. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  3. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)


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