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![Show Contents]() Harnfield History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 England
Harnfield is an ancient Norman name that arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Harnfield family lived in Essex. Their name, however, is a local reference which indicates that the original bearer lived at or near a field belonging to someone by the name of Hand, hence Handfield. It is one of a number of names such as Handforth, Handford, Hanfirth, Hanfield, Handsacre, Handsworth, all of which derive from this source. The surname Hand comes from the Old English honde, and was a nickname used to identify a person by a peculiarity of the hands, such as size, great skill, or agility. Early Origins of the Harnfield familyThe surname Harnfield was first found in Essex where they were conjecturally descended from Ralph FitzThorold, who held the lands and villages of east, south, and west Hanningfield. Early History of the Harnfield familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Harnfield research. Another 87 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Harnfield History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Harnfield Spelling VariationsNorman 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 Handfield, Hanfield, Haningfield, Hangefield, Havingfield and many more. Early Notables of the Harnfield familyMore information is included under the topic Early Harnfield Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Harnfield familyMany 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 Harnfield or a variant listed above: Thomas Handfield who settled in Maryland in 1741.
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