Summerford History, Family Crest & Coats of ArmsSummerford is a name of ancient Anglo-Saxon origin and comes from the family once having lived in the small English town of Somerford found in the county of Wiltshire. Early Origins of the Summerford familyThe surname Summerford was first found in Wiltshire where there is a Great Somerford and Little Somerford. Both date back to 937 when they were listed simply as Sumerford. By the time of the Domesday Book in 1086, the village was listed as Sumreford. The placename literally means "ford usable in the summer," from the Old English sumor + ford. 1 Somerford Keynes is located in Gloucestershire and that locale dates back further to 685 when it was listed as Sumerford. Early History of the Summerford familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Summerford research. Another 71 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Summerford History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Summerford Spelling VariationsSound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Summerford family name include Somerford, Somerfield and others. Early Notables of the Summerford familyMore information is included under the topic Early Summerford Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, Canada, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Summerford surname or a spelling variation of the name include: Summerford Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
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