Bafield History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• England

Early Origins of the Bafield family

Early History of the Bafield family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bafield research. Another 100 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1208, 1390, 1461, 1531 and 1668 are included under the topic Early Bafield History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bafield Spelling Variations

Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Bayfield, Baifield, Bafield, Bayfeld and others.

Early Notables of the Bafield family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Richard Bayfield (died 1531) an English Protestant martyr. After exile to the Low Countries, he then returned to England and was active in circulating the New Testament and other prohibited books, including the works of Luther, Zwingli and Melancthon. He was discovered, imprisoned...
Another 50 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bafield Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Bafield family

Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World under extremely harsh conditions. Overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Bafield or a variant listed above: Geo Bayfeild, who settled in Virginia in 1670; Jean Jaque Bavill, who settled in Nova Scotia in 1752; and J. Bayfeld, who arrived in New York, NY in 1864..