| ![Show Contents]() Kerferd History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The ancient history of the Kerferd name begins with the ancient Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the family resided in a valley or at the foot of a hill. Kerferd is a topographic surname, which was given to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree. Habitation names form the other broad category of surnames that were derived from place-names. They were derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads. Other local names are derived from the names of houses, manors, estates, regions, and entire counties. Early Origins of the Kerferd familyThe surname Kerferd was first found in Yorkshire where Ricardus de Kerfforth was listed in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379. A very rare name, we must look to 1572 to find the next record, that of Margarette Kyrfote, of Bolhngton who appears in the Reg. Prestbury, Cheshire at that time. A few years later, John Kirfoote, or Kyerfoote, Cheshire appears in the Register of the University of Oxford in 1583. 1 Early History of the Kerferd familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kerferd research. Another 101 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1379, 1661, 1664, 1688 and 1741 are included under the topic Early Kerferd History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Kerferd Spelling VariationsUntil quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Kerferd include Kerfoot, Kerford, Kerfont, Kerfut, Kerriford and many more. Early Notables of the Kerferd familyMore information is included under the topic Early Kerferd Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.  Migration of the Kerferd family to Ireland
Some of the Kerferd 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. Migration of the Kerferd familySearching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled 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 ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Kerferd or a variant listed above: Thomas Kerfitt, who settled in Virginia in 1624; and Elizabeth Kerfoote, who sailed to Virginia in 1637.
| Contemporary Notables of the name Kerferd (post 1700) | + |
- George Briscoe Kerferd (1831-1889), Australian colonial politician, 10th Premier of Victoria; he emigrated from Liverpool to Victoria in 1853
- Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
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England
Ireland
