Alvord History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The many generations and branches of the Alvord family can all place the origins of their surname with the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. Their name reveals that an early member worked as a personal name Alfred. which literally means elf counsel.

Early Origins of the Alvord family

The surname Alvord was first found in Kent and originated there, and is one of the oldest Saxon names. The family name, originally Alured is shown in the Domesday Book compiled in 1086, as a holder of lands in Kent even after the Norman invasion of 1066 by Duke William.

Alfred of Beverley (fl. 1143), was an early English chronicler and a priest of Beverley. He is described in the preface to his book as 'treasurer of the church of Beverley.' "He speaks of himself as contemporary with the removal of the Flemings from the north of England to Ross in Herefordshire in 1112. " 1

Early History of the Alvord family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Alvord research. Another 51 words (4 lines of text) covering the year 1155 is included under the topic Early Alvord History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Alvord 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 Alvord were recorded, including Alfred, Allfred, Alured, Aelfred, Alverd and others.

Early Notables of the Alvord family

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

Alvord Ranking

In the United States, the name Alvord is the 13,598^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 2

Alvord 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 Alvord family emigrate to North America:

Alvord Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Alexander Alvord, who arrived in Massachusetts in 1637 3
Benedict Alvord, who arrived in Connecticut in 1637 3

Alvord Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

H Alvord, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1851 3
T M Alvord, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1860 3
S W Alvord, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1860 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Alvord (post 1700) +

Clarence Walworth Alvord (1868-1928), American history professor and author, recipient of the 1918 Loubat Prize for his book "The Mississippi Valley in British Politics"
Henry Elijah Alvord (1844-1904), American university administrator, educator, and Army officer
Steven Lee "Steve" Alvord (b. 1964), American NFL football defensive tackle and defensive end who played from 1987 through 1992
William Alvord (1833-1904), American merchant, banker and politician, 14th Mayor of San Francisco (1871-1873), President of the Bank of California from 1878 until his death
Brigadier General Benjamin Alvord Jr. (1860-1927), American soldier, son of Benjamin Alvord
William Crawford "Uncle Bill" Alvord (1863-1927), American Major League Baseball third baseman who played from 1885 to 1893
Benjamin Alvord (1813-1884), American soldier, mathematician, and botanist
Thomas Gold Alvord (1810-1897), nicknamed "Old Salt", an American lawyer, merchant and politician educated at Yale
Burt "Burton" Alvord (1866-1910), American lawman and later outlaw of the Old West, who witnessed the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral at age 15
Austin D. Alvord, American Democratic Party politician, Mayor of Flint, Michigan, 1902-04; Defeated, 1910 4
... (Another 14 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 4) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html