Braford History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The Braford name has descended through the generations from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. Their name comes from having lived in or near one of the many places called Bradford in England, which were found in Wiltshire, Dorset, Somerset, Devon, Northumberland, and the West Riding of Yorkshire. The surname Braford literally means broad ford.

One source claims that the family came from "a town on the Avon, in Wiltshire, England, whence the surname is derived, and which signifies the broad ford, there being at that place a ford across the Avon." 1

Early Origins of the Braford family

The surname Braford was first found in the West Riding of Yorkshire at Bradford, a borough, market-town, and parish, and the head of a union, in the wapentake of Morley. "This place during the heptarchy formed part of the extensive parish of Dewsbury, from which it appears to have been separated soon after the Conquest. The manor of Bradford, which in the Domesday Survey is described as a barren waste, was given to Ilbert de Lacy, who attended the Conqueror from Normandy, and fought under his standard at the battle of Hastings. Ilbert had 150 other manors in the county, which he formed into a seigniory, called the Honour of Pontefract." 2

While it is generally thought the family hailed from Yorkshire, we must look to Northumberland for the first recording of the family. For it is there that Hodgson's History of Northumberland lists Alexander de Bradeford in 1197.

Later the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 eluded to the wide popularity of the name throughout ancient Britain: Hugh de Bradeford, Devon; John de Bradeford, Wiltshire; and Alex, de Bradeford, Northumberland. 3

Ironically, the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 had only one listing of the family there at that time: Johannes de Bradeford. 3

Early History of the Braford family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Braford research. Another 103 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1206, 1510, 1555, 1590, 1624, 1652, 1657, 1658, 1660, 1663, 1703, 1731, 1739 and 1752 are included under the topic Early Braford History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Braford Spelling Variations

Only recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Braford has undergone many spelling variations, including Bradford, Bradeford, Braidford, Bradforde and others.

Early Notables of the Braford family

Notables of the family at this time include John Bradford (1510?-1555), English Protestant martyr, born of gentle parents about 1510 in the parish of Manchester. "A local tradition claims him as a native of the chapelry of Blackley. On his way to the stake, he proclaimed 'England, England, repent thee of thy sins, repent thee of thy sins. Beware of idolatry, beware of false antichrists; take heed they do not deceive you.' " 4William Bradford (c.1590-c.1657), was an English Separatist leader in Leiden, Holland and in Plymouth Colony. He was a signatory to the Mayflower Compact; and his son, Major William...
Another 126 words (9 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Braford Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Braford family to Ireland

Some of the Braford family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Braford migration to the United States +

To escape the unstable social climate in England of this time, many families boarded ships for the New World with the hope of finding land, opportunity, and greater religious and political freedom. Although the voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, those families that arrived often found greater opportunities and freedoms than they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Braford were among those contributors:

Braford Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

John Braford, who arrived in Virginia in 1622 5

The Braford Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Fier et sage
Motto Translation: Proud and Wise.

Citations +

Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
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)