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![Show Contents]() Asfour History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 England
Cornwall, one of the original six "Celtic nations" is the homeland to the surname Asfour. A revival of the Cornish language which began in the 9th century AD has begun. No doubt this was the language spoken by distant forebears of the Asfour family. Though surnames became common during medieval times, English people were formerly known only by a single name. The way in which hereditary surnames were adopted in medieval England is fascinating. Many Cornish surnames appear to be topographic surnames, which were given to people who resided near physical features such as hills, streams, churches, or types of trees, many are actually habitation surnames. The name Asfour is a local type of surname and the Asfour family lived at Ayshford, in Cornwall. The Asfour surname was also derived from the Old English words aesc and ford which meant a ford where ash trees grew. 1 Early Origins of the Asfour familyThe surname Asfour was first found in Ayshford, in the county of Cornwall, and in the County of Devon, from earliest times, and in later years a branch of the family migrated eastward to Kent. There are at least two references to the name in the Domesday Book: Aisseford and Aiseforda. Both were listed in Devon. However we must look to Oxfordshire for the first listing of the family with a very old spelling. The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, list John de Esseford, Oxfordshire as holding lands there at that time. 2 Early History of the Asfour familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Asfour research. Another 63 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1594, 1626 and 1698 are included under the topic Early Asfour History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Asfour Spelling VariationsCornish surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The official court languages, which were Latin and French, were also influential on the spelling of a surname. Since the spelling of surnames was rarely consistent in medieval times, and scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings of their surname in the ancient chronicles. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into England, which accelerated and accentuated the alterations to the spelling of various surnames. Lastly, spelling variations often resulted from the linguistic differences between the people of Cornwall and the rest of England. The Cornish spoke a unique Brythonic Celtic language which was first recorded in written documents during the 10th century. However, they became increasingly Anglicized, and Cornish became extinct as a spoken language in 1777, although it has been revived by Cornish patriots in the modern era. The name has been spelled Aishford, Ashford, Ayshford, Aysford, Asford, Asseford and many more. Early Notables of the Asfour familyAnother 34 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Asfour Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Asfour familyAmongst the settlers in North America with this distinguished name Asfour were Ambrose Ashford landed in Barbados in 1685; followed by his brother John a year later, they both transshipped to Virginia. Elizabeth landed in Annapolis, Maryland in 1726.
- Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
- Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
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