Danfort History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The Danfort surname is thought to have been a habitational name taken on from a place name; possibly from Darnford in Suffolk, Great Durnford in Wiltshire, or from Dernford Farm in Sawston, Cambridgeshire. These place names are derived from the Old English words "dierne," meaning "hidden" and "ford," or in other words "a ford across a river." [1]

Of all these parishes Durnford, Wiltshire is the largest and dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086 when it was recorded as Diarneford. [2] Denford, Northamptonshire was listed in the the Domesday Book as Deneforde. [2]

Early Origins of the Danfort family

The surname Danfort was first found in Northamptonshire at Denford, a parish, in the union of Thrapston, hundred of Huxloe. [3] Upper Denford is a hamlet in Berkshire, England, and part of the civil parish of Kintbury and this may the source of the family too. [4]

Early rolls revealed early spellings used at that time: Nicholas de Darneford in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1279; Robert de Derneforde in the Subsidy Rolls of Suffolk in 1327; and James Danford in Subsidy Rolls for Suffolk in 1568. [5]

Early History of the Danfort family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Danfort research. Another 115 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1279, 1327, 1568, 1570, 1639, 1455, 1487, 1626, 1674, 1634, 1622, 1699, 1634, 1692, 1634, 1643, 1657, 1658, 1659, 1679, 1686, 1681, 1686, 1650 and 1658 are included under the topic Early Danfort History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Danfort Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Danforth, Danford, Danforde, Danforthe, Damforth and many more.

Early Notables of the Danfort family (pre 1700)

Distinguished members of the family include Samuel Danforth (1626-1674), an American Puritan minister, poet, and astronomer born in Framlingham, Suffolk, arriving in Massachusetts in 1634; and Thomas Danforth (1622-1699), born in Framlingham, Suffolk, he emigrated to New England in 1634 with his family and later became a judge for the 1692 Salem witch trials. He was son of Nicholas Danforth of Framlingham and was "taken by his father to America in 1634, and became an inhabitant of Cambridge, Massachusetts. He was admitted a freeman of that town in 1643...
Another 89 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Danfort Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Danfort family

Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: Nicholas Danforth, who came to Cambridge, MA in 1634; Nicholas Danford, who came to Massachusetts in 1634; Thomas Danford, who settled in New England in 1650.

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)