Colfe History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Colfe is a name of Anglo-Saxon origin. It was a name given to a Calf, a variant of the Old Norse personal name Kalfr, which means calf. However, several alternative interpretations exist. The name may be of nickname origin, derived from the Old English cealf which means calf, indicating one thought to possess the characteristics of a calf. 1

Early Origins of the Colfe family

The surname Colfe was first found in various counties throughout old Britain as by the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, the following listings were found: Reginald Cauf, Yorkshire; John le Cauf, Lincolnshire; and Nicholas Calf, Gloucestershire. 2

Early History of the Colfe family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Colfe research. Another 240 words (17 lines of text) covering the years 1163, 1176, 1273, 1500, 1560, 1580, 1597, 1605, 1657 and 1738 are included under the topic Early Colfe History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Colfe Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years, the English language had no fast system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations are commonly found in early Anglo-Saxon surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Colfe were recorded, including Calf, Calfe, Cauf, Caufe, Calffe and others.

Early Notables of the Colfe family

Notables of the family at this time include

Abraham Colfe or Calf (1580-1657), English divine, son of the Rev. Richard Colfe, D.D., prebendary of Canterbury, by his first wife, whose maiden name was Thorneton, was born at Canterbury, 7 Aug. 158...
Isaac Colfe (1560?-1597), was a divine, the fourth son of Amandus, Almantius, or Aymon Colfe and his wife, Catherine Bradfield, and uncle of Abraham Colfe, was born at Canterbury in or before 1560. (N...

Migration of the Colfe family to Ireland

Some of the Colfe family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Colfe family

To escape oppression and starvation at that time, many English families left for the "open frontiers" of the New World with all its perceived opportunities. In droves people migrated to the many British colonies, those in North America in particular, paying high rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Although many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, those who did see the shores of North America perceived great opportunities before them. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Research into various historical records revealed some of first members of the Colfe family emigrate to North America: William Calfe who arrived in Virginia in 1637 and Daniel Calf in Boston in 1765.

Citations +

Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)