Dunforth History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Dunforth is a name of ancient Anglo-Saxon origin and comes from a family once having lived in the town of Dunford in the northern county of Yorkshire. This West Riding town was first inhabited by the Dunford name in the early 1200's. One of the first records of the name was William de Dunneford who was listed in the Feet of Fines in 1332. A few years later William Dinford was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of 1332.

Early Origins of the Dunforth family

The surname Dunforth was first found in Yorkshire where they held a family seat from early times.

Early History of the Dunforth family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dunforth research. Another 96 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1273 and 1379 are included under the topic Early Dunforth History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dunforth Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore,spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Dunforth has been recorded under many different variations, including Dunsford, Downford, Dounsford, Duinsford, Duneford and many more.

Early Notables of the Dunforth family

More information is included under the topic Early Dunforth Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Dunforth family to Ireland

Some of the Dunforth family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Dunforth family

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Dunforth or a variant listed above: Thomas Taylor Dunford married Elizabeth Keeling in Cumberland County, Va. in 1712; John Dunford purchased land on the eastern seaboard in 1718. James Dunford brought the family name to New York City in 1820 and other Dunfords made Pennsylvania their home in later years. In Labrador, John Dunford settled in Battle Harbour in 1795.