Show ContentsAlderforth History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Alderforth family

The surname Alderforth was first found in Worcestershire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. Alderford is a village and civil parish in Norfolk, about ten miles north-west of Norwich. The village dates back to at least 1163 where it was known as Alaforda and was derived from the Old English alor + ford which meant "ford where the alders grow." 1

The Saxon influence of English history diminished after the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The language of the courts was French for the next three centuries and the Norman ambience prevailed. But Saxon surnames survived and the family name was first referenced in the 13th century when they held estates in that shire and seated at Kinghtwick. 2

Early History of the Alderforth family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Alderforth research. Another 136 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1043, 1352, 1455, 1486, 1487, 1510, 1566, 1600, 1607 and 1652 are included under the topic Early Alderforth History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Alderforth Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore,spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Alderforth has been recorded under many different variations, including Alderford, Alderforth, Elderford, Alderforde, Alterford and many more.

Early Notables of the Alderforth family

Another 27 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Alderforth Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Alderforth family

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Alderforth or a variant listed above: the name represented in many forms and recorded from the mid 17th century in the great migration from Europe. Migrants settled in the eastern seaboard from Newfoundland, to Maine, to Virginia, the Carolinas, and to the islands..



  1. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  2. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)


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