Garforth History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The name Garforth comes from an old Yorkshire place name, which is in turn derived fro the Old English elements "gara," which denoted a triangular piece of ground, and "ford," meaning a crossing place through shallow water.

Early Origins of the Garforth family

The surname Garforth 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 13th century when they held estates in that shire and held a family seat at Sleeton.

Early History of the Garforth family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Garforth research. Another 137 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1444, 1455, 1487, 1510 and 1600 are included under the topic Early Garforth History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Garforth Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years, the English language had no fast system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations are commonly found in early Anglo-Saxon surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Garforth were recorded, including Garforth, Garford, Garforde, Garforthe and others.

Early Notables of the Garforth family

Distinguished members of the family include

the Garforth family of Yorkshire

Garforth migration to the United States +

To escape oppression and starvation at that time, many English families left for the "open frontiers" of the New World with all its perceived opportunities. In droves people migrated to the many British colonies, those in North America in particular, paying high rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Although many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, those who did see the shores of North America perceived great opportunities before them. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Research into various historical records revealed some of first members of the Garforth family emigrate to North America:

Garforth Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Paul Garforth, who was naturalized in Philadelphia in 1868
Ezra Garforth, who was naturalized in Philadelphia in 1880

Contemporary Notables of the name Garforth (post 1700) +

Charles Ernest Garforth VC (1891-1973), English recipient of the Victoria Cross
Darren Garforth (b. 1966), English former international rugby union footballer from Coventry