Contents [hide]

Stafford History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables World Ranking

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand West Indies

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Suggested Reading Citations

Stafford History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Stafford is a name of ancient Norman origin. It arrived in England with the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Stafford family lived in Staffordshire, at Stafford, from where their name is derived.

Early Origins of the Stafford family

The surname Stafford was first found in Staffordshire where they were descended from Roger de Toeni, founder of the Abbey of Conches, who died in the Civil Wars in Normandy in 1038.

His son, Ralph de Toeni, was hereditary Standard Bearer to King William the Conqueror, at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. His brother, Robert de Toeni, built a castle in Stafford and was the first to be surnamed Stafford.

The family held eighty manors in thirteen Midland counties as recorded in the Domesday Book compiled in 1086, and from the senior line of this noble family descended the Dukes of Buckingham.

The parish of Mugginton, Derbyshire played an important part of the family's heritage. "The manor, in Domesday Book Mogintune, was anciently held under Earl Ferrers, and in the reign of Edward I. was in moieties between the families of Chandos and Stafford. One moiety passed by a female heir to the immediate ancestor of Edward Sacheverell C. Pole, Esq.; and the Staffords' moiety has been successively in the families of Dethick, Rolleston, and Hallowes." [1]

Moving south to Cornwall, we found an interesting entry about the family. "The great manor or franchise of Callilond, or Kalliland, [in the parish of Southill, Cornwall] had formerly a very extensive jurisdiction, and which at present is far from being diminutive, originally belonged to the baronial family of Stafford. In the days of Richard III. this manor became divided, one third passing to the crown, and the other two thirds passing with an heiress of the Stafford family in marriage to Willoughby, Lord Broke." [2]

Early History of the Stafford family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Stafford research. Another 166 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1350, 1377, 1402, 1403, 1432, 1450, 1452, 1455, 1460, 1469, 1483, 1500, 1512, 1521, 1523, 1554, 1556, 1574, 1593, 1612, 1625, 1630, 1655, 1684 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Stafford History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Stafford Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, Anglo-Norman surnames like Stafford are characterized by many spelling variations. 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. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages such as Norman French and Latin, even literate people regularly changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Stafford include Stafford, Staford, Strafford and others.

Early Notables of the Stafford family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

Edmund Stafford, 5th Earl of Stafford and 6th Baron Audley, (1377-1403), son of Hugh de Stafford, 2nd Earl of Stafford and Philippa de Beauchamp, inherited the Earldom at the age of 17
John Stafford (d. 1452), English statesman, Lord Chancellor (1432-1450), and Archbishop of Canterbury
Humphrey Stafford (1402-1460), English nobleman, 1st Duke of Buckingham
Henry Stafford (1455-1483), 2nd Duke of Buckingham
Sir William Stafford, of Chebsey, in Staffordshire (c.1500-1556), an Essex landowner and the second husband of Mary Boleyn, sister of Anne Boleyn
William Stafford (1554-1612), an English courtier and conspirator
Sir Thomas Stafford (c.1574-1655), an English courtier, politician, and historian of the Irish Wars, sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1593 and 1625

Stafford World Ranking

In the United States, the name Stafford is the 628^th most popular surname with an estimated 47,253 people with that name. [3] However, in Australia, the name Stafford is ranked the 596^th most popular surname with an estimated 6,552 people with that name. [4] And in the United Kingdom, the name Stafford is the 724^th popular surname with an estimated 9,244 people with that name. [5]

Migration of the Stafford family to Ireland

Some of the Stafford family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 94 words (7 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Stafford migration to the United States +

Faced with the chaos present in England at that time, many English families looked towards the open frontiers of the New World with its opportunities to escape oppression and starvation. People migrated to North America, as well as Australia and Ireland in droves, paying exorbitant rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, but those who did see the shores of North America were welcomed with great opportunity. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name Stafford, or a variant listed above:

Stafford Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

William Stafford, aged 16, who arrived in Virginia in 1622 aboard the ship "Furtherance" [6]
Thomas Stafford, who arrived in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1626 [6]
Thomas Stafford, who settled in Rhode Island in 1630
Christopher Stafford, who arrived in Virginia in 1635 [6]
Rebecca Stafford, who arrived in Virginia in 1635 [6]
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Stafford Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Anthony Stafford, who arrived in New York in 1796 [6]

Stafford Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Patrick Stafford, who landed in America in 1802 [6]
Robert Stafford, aged 54, who arrived in New York in 1812 [6]
Henry Stafford, aged 30, who arrived in New York in 1812 [6]
Aaron Stafford, aged 31, who landed in New York in 1812 [6]
Fanny Stafford, who settled in Boston with her husband Edward and five children in 1820
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Stafford migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Stafford Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Thomas Stafford, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1749
Michael Stafford, who landed in Quebec in 1784

Stafford Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Robert Stafford, who was married at St. John's Newfoundland in 1805 [7]
John Stafford, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1825
Thomas Stafford, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1833
John Stafford, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1842

Stafford migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Stafford Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Francis Stafford, Irish convict who was convicted in Dublin, Ireland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Atlas" on 29th November 1801, arriving in New South Wales, Australia [8]
Mr.Patrick Stafford, (b. 1803), aged 16, Irish shoe maker boy who was convicted in Dublin, Ireland for 7 years for burglary, transported aboard the "Bencoolen" on 24th April 1819, arriving in New South Wales, Australia before being transferred to Tasmania via the "Admiral Cockburn" [9]
Mr. Francis Stafford, British Convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Commodore Hayes" in April 1823, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) [10]
Mr. Jacob Stafford Jr., , British convict who was convicted in Norwich, Norfolk, England for life, transported aboard the "Asia" on 29th September 1831, settling in New South Wales, Australia [11]
Mr. Joshua Stafford, English convict who was convicted in York, Yorkshire, England for 15 years for burglary, transported aboard the "Blundell" on 13th March 1844, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) [12]
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Stafford migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Stafford Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Edward Stafford, aged 27, a tailor, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Aurora" in 1840
Eliza Stafford, aged 22, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Aurora" in 1840
Edward Stafford, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840 aboard the ship "Aurora"
C W Stafford, who landed in Nelson, New Zealand in 1842
D Stafford, who landed in Auckland, New Zealand in 1842
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Stafford migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. [13]

Stafford Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Miss Jane Stafford, (b. 1611), aged 24, British settler travelling from London, England aboard the ship "Anne and Elizabeth" arriving in Barbados in 1635 [14]

Contemporary Notables of the name Stafford (post 1700) +

John Matthew Stafford (b. 1988), American football quarterback for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League, winning quarterback of Super Bowl LVI in 2022
Lieutenant General Thomas Patten "Tom" Stafford (1930-2024), American NASA astronaut in the Gemini and Apollo programs with over 21 days in space, one of 24 astronauts who flew to the Moon, Chief of the Astronaut Office from 1969 to 1971
William H. Stafford (1869-1957), United States Representative for Wisconsin
William P. Stafford (b. 1933), American Republican politician elected West Virginia State House of Delegates from Mercer County 1972 [15]
James A. Stafford, American politician, Mayor of Lake Worth, Florida, 1954-55 [15]
William Henry Stafford (1869-1957), American Republican politician, U.S. Representative from Wisconsin 5th District, 1903-11, 1913-19, 1921-23, 1929-33; Defeated, 1922 ; Candidate in primary for U.S. Senator from Wisconsin, 1938 [15]
William A. Stafford Jr., American politician, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, 1969-75 [15]
Walter Jerome Stafford, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate in primary for Michigan State House of Representatives 21st District, 1974 [15]
Walter G. Stafford, American politician, Delegate to New Hampshire State Constitutional Convention from Laconia 1st Ward, 1948 [15]
W. M. Stafford, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for Mayor of Galveston, Texas, 1879 [15]
... (Another 59 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Stafford family +

HMS Repulse

Mr. John Stafford, British Ordinary Seaman, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and survived the sinking [16]

RMS Lusitania

Mr. Thomas Stafford, English Trimmer from Liverpool, England, who worked aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and survived the sinking [17]

RMS Titanic

Mr. Michael Stafford (b. 1878), age 34, English greaser from Southampton, Hampshire who worked aboard the RMS Titanic and died in the sinking [18]

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
"UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
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)
Seary E.R., Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland, Montreal: McGill's-Queen's Universtity Press 1998 ISBN 0-7735-1782-0
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 14th July 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/atlas
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 5th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bencoolen
Convict Records of Australia. Retrieved 4th March 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/commodore-hayes
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 12th January 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/asia/1831
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 25th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/blundell
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
Pilgrim Ship Lists Early 1600's. Retrieved 23rd September 2021 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2017, March 10) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
HMS Repulse Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listrepulsecrew.html
Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 7) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/
Titanic Passenger List - Titanic Facts. (Retrieved 2016, July 13) . Retrieved from http://www.titanicfacts.net/titanic-passenger-list.html