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![Show Contents]() Hafford History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Early Origins of the Hafford familyThe surname Hafford was first found in Oxfordshire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. After the Battle of Hastings in 1066, William, Duke of Normandy, having prevailed over King Harold, granted most of Britain to his many victorious Barons. It was not uncommon to find a Baron, or a Bishop, with 60 or more Lordships scattered throughout the country. These he gave to his sons, nephews and other junior lines of his family and they became known as under-tenants. They adopted the Norman system of surnames which identified the under-tenant with his holdings so as to distinguish him from the senior stem of the family. After many rebellious wars between his Barons, Duke William, commissioned a census of all England to determine in 1086, settling once and for all, who held which land. He called the census the Domesday Book, 1 indicating that those holders registered would hold the land until the end of time. Hence, conjecturally, the surname is descended from the tenant of the lands of Heyford, held by Roger from the Baron Robert d'Oilly who was recorded in the Domesday Book census of 1086. The Baron came from Ouilly le Basset near Falaise and he was a trusted follower of William the Conqueror. The Baron built Oxford and Wallingford Castles. He held 51 domains in Oxfordshire and had a large family. Early History of the Hafford familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hafford research. Another 72 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Hafford History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Hafford Spelling VariationsA multitude of spelling variations characterize Norman surnames. Many variations occurred because Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England also had a pronounced effect, as did the court languages of Latin and French. Therefore, one person was often referred to by several different spellings in a single lifetime. The various spellings include Heyford, Hayford, Haiford, Heiford, Heighford, Haighford, Heafford, Hefford and many more. Early Notables of the Hafford familyMore information is included under the topic Early Hafford Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Hafford RankingIn the United States, the name Hafford is the 17,325th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 2 Migration of the Hafford familyMany English families left England, to avoid the chaos of their homeland and migrated to the many British colonies abroad. Although the conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and some travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute, once in the colonies, many of the families prospered and made valuable contributions to the cultures of what would become the United States and Canada. Research into the origins of individual families in North America has revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Hafford or a variant listed above: the name represented in many forms and recorded from the mid 17th century in the great migration from Europe. Migrants settled in the eastern seaboard from Newfoundland, to Maine, to Virginia, the Carolinas, and to the islands. Thomas Hayford settled in Maryland in 1680. There is a genealogical record of this early settling family in the Library of Congress reference Card CS71.H410 from 1100-1900..
| Contemporary Notables of the name Hafford (post 1700) | + |
- Hafford E. Hay, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Kentucky, 1928, 1932 3
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England
Ireland
