Holford History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms 

Origins Available: 
  England 


The lineage of the name Holford begins with the Anglo-Saxon tribes in Britain. It is a result of when they lived in Holford, a place-name found in Somerset and Sussex. The place-name is derived from the Old English elements hol, which means hollow or valley, and ford, a shallow place where a river may be crossed by wading. Fords were very important in medieval England, as bridges were very expensive to both build and maintain. Any place where there was a ford across a river was bound to become a settlement of one sort or another, especially if it was a long way to the next ford up or down the river. In this particular case, the place-name Holford means "ford across the river in a valley."

Early Origins of the Holford family

The surname Holford was first found in West Somerset in the hundred of Whitley at Holford, a village and civil parish that dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086 where it was listed as Holeforde. The place name literally meant "hollow ford, ford in a hollow," from the Old English words hol + ford. 1 The River Holford which runs through the village flows to the sea at Kilve.

Early History of the Holford family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Holford research. Another 202 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1541, 1587, 1588 and 1717 are included under the topic Early Holford History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Holford Spelling Variations

Only recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Holford has undergone many spelling variations, including Holford, Holfords and others.

Early Notables of the Holford family

Notables of this surname at this time include:

Holford Ranking

In the United States, the name Holford is the 14,297th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 2


Holford migration to the United States +

To escape the unstable social climate in England of this time, many families boarded ships for the New World with the hope of finding land, opportunity, and greater religious and political freedom. Although the voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, those families that arrived often found greater opportunities and freedoms than they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Holford were among those contributors:

Holford Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
Holford Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Holford migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Holford Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Holford migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Holford Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name Holford (post 1700) +
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