Show ContentsStandiford History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancestors of the bearers of the Standiford family name are thought have lived in ancient Anglo-Saxon England. They were first found in the village of Stanford that was found in at least ten parishes in England.

Early Origins of the Standiford family

The surname Standiford was first found in Staffordshire but was found in various counties including: Stanford, Kent; Stanford Bishop, Herefordshire; Stanford Dingley, Berkshire; Stanford in the Vale; and Stanford le Hope in Essex. The name literally means "stone ford" or "stony ford" [1] and was listed in the Domesday Book in numerous places too. The Stainforth variant called Darnall in Yorkshire their ancient family seat. "The Hall [of Darnall], built by the Staniforths, was the residence of that family for several generations, and afterwards a seat of the late Duke of Norfolk's." [2]

Early History of the Standiford family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Standiford research. Another 96 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1175 and 1461 are included under the topic Early Standiford History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Standiford Spelling Variations

Until 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 Standiford include Stamford, Stanford, Staniford, Staniforth, Stainforth, Stannford, Stanforth and many more.

Early Notables of the Standiford family

More information is included under the topic Early Standiford Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Standiford family to Ireland

Some of the Standiford 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 Standiford family

Searching 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 Standiford or a variant listed above: John Stamford who settled in Virginia in 1624; Francis Stanford, his wife Grace, and six children arrived in Philadelphia in 1683; Robert Stanford and his wife Mary and son Robert arrived in Barbados in 1678.



  1. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  2. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.


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