The new county was named after American Revolutionary War officer and large landowner in the area, Thomas Bedford.

[5] The county was pro-Confederate during the Civil War, but Shelbyville was mostly loyal to the Union.

Texas pioneer William Whitaker Reed was born in Bedford County in 1816.

[7] As of the 2020 United States census, there were 50,237 people, 17,029 households, and 12,704 families residing in the county.

21.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.