Show ContentsKyffand History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Welsh name Kyffand comes from a place name. Some instances derive from the hamlet of Cyffin, in the county of Montgomery, while others come from the parish of Gyffin, in the county of Carnarvon. The Welsh word "cyffin" means "limit" or "confine."

Early Origins of the Kyffand family

The surname Kyffand was first found in Montgomeryshire (Welsh: Sir Drefaldwyn), located in mid-Eastern Wales, one of thirteen historic counties, and anciently the medieval kingdom of Powys Wenwynwyn, where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.

Early History of the Kyffand family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kyffand research. Another 85 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1599, 1616 and 1701 are included under the topic Early Kyffand History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kyffand Spelling Variations

There are relatively few surnames native to Wales, but they have an inordinately large number of spelling variations. Early variations of Welsh surnames can be explained by the fact that very few people in the early Middle Ages were literate. Priests and the few other literate people were responsible for recording names in official documents. And because most people could not specific how to properly record their names it was up to the individual recorder of that time to determine how a spoken name should be recorded. Variations due to the imprecise or improper recording of a name continued later in history when names originally composed in the Brythonic Celtic, language of Wales, known by natives as Cymraeg, were transliterated into English. Welsh names that were documented in English often changed dramatically since the native language of Wales, which was highly inflected, did not copy well. Occasionally, however, spelling variations were carried out according to an individual's specific design: a branch loyalty within the family, a religious adherence, or even patriotic affiliations could be indicated by minor variations. The spelling variations of the name Kyffand have included Kyffin, Kiffin, Cuffin, Cyffin and others.

Early Notables of the Kyffand family

Another 36 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Kyffand Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Kyffand family

Many Welsh families joined their Scottish and Irish neighbors during the late 1800s and early 1900s in seeking refuge in North America. Like the Irish and Scottish, many Welsh anxiously awaited the work, freedom, and opportunities that they believed lay in North America. Those who did journey over to the United States and what became known as Canada often realized those dreams, but only through much toil and perseverance. Whenever and however these Welsh immigrants arrived in North America, they were instrumental in the creation of the industry, commerce, and cultural heritage within those two developing nations. In the immigration and passenger lists a number of early immigrants bearing the name Kyffand were found: David Kiffin settled in Virginia in 1635.



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