Show ContentsHayford History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Hayford family

The surname Hayford 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 Hayford family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hayford research. Another 72 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Hayford History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hayford Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. When the Normans became the ruling people of England in the 11th century, they introduced a new language into a society where the main languages of Old and later Middle English had no definite spelling rules. These languages were more often spoken than written, so they blended freely with one another. Contributing to this mixing of tongues was the fact that medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, ensuring that a person's name would appear differently in nearly every document in which it was recorded. The name has been spelled Heyford, Hayford, Haiford, Heiford, Heighford, Haighford, Heafford, Hefford and many more.

Early Notables of the Hayford family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

  • the Hayford family of Heyford


United States Hayford migration to the United States +

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that plagued their homeland made the frontiers of the New World an attractive prospect. Thousands migrated, aboard cramped disease-ridden ships. They arrived sick, poor, and hungry, but were welcomed in many cases with far greater opportunity than at home in England. Many of these hardy settlers went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Among early immigrants bearing the name Hayford or a variant listed above were:

Hayford Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Thomas Hayford, who landed in Maryland in 1680 [2]

Contemporary Notables of the name Hayford (post 1700) +

  • Jack Williams Hayford (1934-2023), American author, Pentecostal minister, and Chancellor Emeritus of The King's University
  • Major-General Bertram Francis Hayford (1899-1985), American Commanding Officer Camp Kilmer, New Jersey (1948-1949) [3]
  • Ekow Hayford (1970-2020), Ghanaian politician and member of the Seventh Parliament of the Fourth Republic of Ghana, Chief Executive Officer of Apam Football Club
  • Sir John Hayford Thorold (1773-1831), 10th Baronet of Marston, English peer
  • Hayford Peirce (1942-2020), American writer of science fiction, mysteries, and spy thrillers


  1. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  2. 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)
  3. Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2012, March 9) Bertram Hayford. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Hayford/Bertram_Francis/USA.html


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