The
Norman Conquest of
England in 1066 brought much change to the island nation, including many immigrants with new names. Among these immigrants were the ancestors of the Axferd family, who lived at Axford, in the county of
Wiltshire. Checking further we found the name was derived from the Old English words
aesc and
ford, meaning
ash tree and
ford. Early Origins of the Axferd family
The surname Axferd was first found in
Wiltshire at Axford, a hamlet in the Kennet Valley which dates back to 1184 when it was listed as Axeford. The place name literally means "ford by the ash-trees," having derived from the Old English words "aesc" + "ford."
[1]CITATION[CLOSE]
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4) The family held a
family seat at Ramsbury from ancient times. Today, Ramsbury is a village and civil parish that includes the hamlet Axford. It was originally spelt Ramesberrie. Ramsbury at the time of the
Domesday Book was one of the larger holdings in the county of
Wiltshire and consisted of 10 Mills. It was held by the Bishop of Salisbury. It also included Axford's Farm, from which the Axford family name is conjecturally descended. Axford's Farm is noted for its water mill. Axford is also a village in
Hampshire, part of the civil parish of Nutley.
Early History of the Axferd family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Axferd research.
Another 83 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 121 and 1216 are included under the topic Early Axferd History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Axferd Spelling Variations
A multitude of
spelling variations characterize Norman surnames. Many variations occurred because Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to
England also had a pronounced effect, as did the court languages of Latin and French. Therefore, one person was often referred to by several different spellings in a single lifetime. The various spellings include Axford, Acksford, Ackford, Hackford, Hacksford, Hawksford, Hawkford, Hawkesford and many more.
Early Notables of the Axferd family (pre 1700)
More information is included under the topic Early Axferd Notables in all our
PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Axferd family to the New World and Oceana
Many English families left
England, to avoid the chaos of their homeland and migrated to the many British colonies abroad. Although the conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and some travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute, once in the colonies, many of the families prospered and made valuable contributions to the cultures of what would become the United States and Canada. Research into the origins of individual families in North America has revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Axferd or a variant listed above: Ephraim Axford who settled in Virginia in 1670; Richard Axford who landed in Maryland in 1660; William Hawksford settled in Maryland in 1775.