Show ContentsCottesfard History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Cottesfard

What does the name Cottesfard mean?

The history of the Cottesfard family goes back to the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It is derived from the family living in the parish of Cottesford, which is in the diocese of Oxford. 1

Early Origins of the Cottesfard family

The surname Cottesfard was first found in Oxfordshire, at Cottesford, a small parish, in the union of Bicester, hundred of Ploughley. 2

Early History of the Cottesfard family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cottesfard research. Another 74 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1273, 1540, 1555, 1567 and 1593 are included under the topic Early Cottesfard History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cottesfard Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Cottesfard include Cottesford, Cosford, Cotesford, Cosforde, Cotesforde, Cotsford and many more.

Early Notables of the Cottesfard family

Another 46 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Cottesfard Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Cottesfard family

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Cottesfard or a variant listed above: Richard Cotesford, who sailed to Maryland in 1638; and Thomas Cotsfort, who sailed to Maryland in 1667.



  1. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  2. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.


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