| ![Show Contents]() Gaff History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 England France Early Origins of the Gaff familyThe surname Gaff was first found in Yorkshire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. The Saxon influence of English history diminished after the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The language of the courts was French for the next three centuries and the Norman ambience prevailed. But Saxon surnames survived and the family name was first referenced in the year 1379 when Jacobus Gaffer held lands. Early History of the Gaff familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gaff research. Another 77 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1379, 1455 and 1487 are included under the topic Early Gaff History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Gaff Spelling VariationsIt is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Gaff are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. The variations of the name Gaff include: Gaff, Gaffer, Gafer, Gafare and others. Early Notables of the Gaff familyDistinguished members of the family include - the Gaffer family of Yorshire
 Gaff migration to the United States | + |
Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Gaff or a variant listed above:
Gaff Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- William Gaff, who landed in New York, NY in 1811 1
- Mary Gaff, aged 20, who landed in New York in 1854 1
- Mrs. T.F. Gaff, aged 25, who landed in America, in 1893
- Thomas F. Gaff, aged 38, who landed in America, in 1893
- Mrs. F. W. Gaff, aged 63, who immigrated to America, in 1894
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Gaff Settlers in United States in the 20th Century- Zaidee Gaff, aged 37, who immigrated to the United States, in 1904
- Thomas Trueman Gaff, aged 50, who settled in America, in 1904
- Mande Gaff, aged 27, who settled in America from Dover, England, in 1909
- James Gaff, aged 17, who landed in America from Glasgow, Scotland, in 1910
- Joseph Gaff, aged 23, who immigrated to the United States from Malte, England, in 1920
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
| Contemporary Notables of the name Gaff (post 1700) | + |
- Brent Allen Gaff (b. 1958), former American Major League Baseball player for the New York Mets
- Andrew Gaff (b. 1992), Australian rules footballer
- 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)
|
Gaff migration to the United States 
