Buffett History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The ancestors of the name Buffett date back to the days of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The surname is generally thought to have come from a place name, such as from Burford in Oxfordshire, or Burford in Shropshire. 1

These place names are derived from the Old English words "burh," meaning "stronghold," or a "fortified manor," and "ford," a location where a river can be crossed. Some variations of this surname, no doubt come from the Old French word "buffet," meaning "table" or "cupboard." 2

Early Origins of the Buffett family

The surname Buffett was first found in Shropshire where two of the first listings of the family were listed there in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273: Hugo de Bureford: and Roger de Bureford. 3 William le Burford and Walter le Boreforde were both listed in Kirby's Quest as holding lands in Somerset, 1 Edward III (during the first year's reign of King Edward III.) 4

Early History of the Buffett family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Buffett research. Another 58 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1329 and 1620 are included under the topic Early Buffett History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Buffett 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 Buffett has undergone many spelling variations, including Burford, Bareford, Berford, Barford, Buford, Burfort and many more.

Early Notables of the Buffett family

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

Buffett Ranking

In Newfoundland, Canada, the name Buffett is the 689^th most popular surname with an estimated 63 people with that name. 5

Migration of the Buffett family to Ireland

Some of the Buffett family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 33 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Buffett 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 Buffett were among those contributors:

Buffett Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

William Buffett, who was on record in Virginia in 1657
William Buffett, who landed in Virginia in 1657 6

Buffett Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Richard Buffett, a bonded passenger, who arrived in Virginia in 1729

Contemporary Notables of the name Buffett (post 1700) +

Warren Buffett (b. 1930), American stock market investor and philanthropist, known as "the Sage of Omaha" for his remarkable success, CEO and largest shareholder of Berkshire Hathaway, consistently ranked among the world's wealthiest people
James William "Jimmy" Buffett (1946-2023), American singer, songwriter, and author, best known for his songs Margaritaville and Come Monday; he sold over 20 million albums
Howard Graham Buffett (b. 1954), American businessman, former politician, philanthropist, photographer, farmer, and conservationist, son of Warren Buffett
Doris Eleanor Buffett (1928-2020), American philanthropist also known as the 'retail' philanthropist and the founder of The Sunshine Lady Foundation, The Learning By Giving Foundation, and The Letters Foundation, sister of Warren Buffett
Susan Thompson Buffett (1932-2004), the first wife of investor Warren Buffett
Peter Andrew Buffett (b. 1958), American Emmy Award winning musician, composer, author and philanthropist, youngest son of Warren Buffett
Susan Alice Buffett (b. 1953), American philanthropist, daughter of Warren Buffett
Savannah Jane Buffett (b. 1979), American radio personality
Howard Homan Buffett (1903-1964), American businessman and politician, who was a four-term U.S. Congressman, father of Warren Buffett
George Buffett, American Republican politician, Member of Republican National Committee from New Mexico, 2008; Delegate to Republican National Convention from New Mexico, 2008 7
... (Another 2 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. 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)
Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
The order of Common Surnames in 1955 in Newfoundland retrieved on 20th October 2021 (retrieved from Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland by E.R. Seary corrected edition ISBN 0-7735-1782-0)
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, October 23) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html