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![Show Contents]() Bearferd History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 England
Soon after the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, the name Bearferd was recognized on the island as a name for a person who was in the habit of going without shoes. Friars, pilgrims, and people doing penance often went shoeless. The Barford(e) variation was likely derived from one of the many places in England so named in Hampshire, Norfolk, Warwickshire and Bedfordshire. Early Origins of the Bearferd familyThe surname Bearferd was first found in various counties and shires throughout Britain. Some of the first records of the name appears in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 and they include: Norman Barfot in Lincolnshire; Robert Barefot in Oxfordshire; and Alan Barefot in Cambridgeshire. 1 Henry de Bereford was listed in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1204 and in Yorkshire, William de Bereford was listed there in 1325 and later John Berford was listed there in 1419. 2 Doora Barefield, or Doora and Kilraghtis, is a parish in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Killaloe, in County Clare, Ireland. Early History of the Bearferd familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bearferd research. Another 129 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1180, 1400, 1655, 1685, 1686 and 1688 are included under the topic Early Bearferd History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Bearferd Spelling VariationsA 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 Barefoot, Barfoot, Barfitt, Barfit, Barford, Barefield, Barefred, Barefoote and many more. Early Notables of the Bearferd familyMore information is included under the topic Early Bearferd Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Bearferd familyMany 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 Bearferd or a variant listed above: James Barefoot who settled in Maryland in 1634; Thomas in Virginia in 1635; followed by another Thomas in Virginia in 1650; John in Virginia in 1634; Elizabeth settled in Maryland in 1743.
- Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
- 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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